Betrayal
by Pika-Thunder
Summary: Because of the fighting in her home and dissatisfaction with her friends, Rima decided to betray her friends and work for Easter. Her job is to act as a spy for Easter and receive information from the guardians, her former friends. What side does she belong on? What will happen when the guardians find about her betrayal? Things only get more complex when there's a love triangle.
1. Switching Sides

**I've been in the mood to write a new story, and since this story received the most votes on a poll I had, this is the one I'm writing. I have published many Rima centered fanfics before, but I'm not going to repeat many ideas I have in most of them. I even published a story about Rima working alongside Easter, but that plot point disappeared after like the fifth chapter and that story wasn't very good. Also, it feels good to use first-person for a change. Anyway, I own nothing, except for OCs, and enjoy!**

_***~Betrayal~***_

_The moon was high in the sky, lighting up the dark night. The large building looked menacing with the darkness surrounding it. I stopped in front of the building, hesitating. My heart was beating rapidly within my chest, so fast it was unfathomable. Nerves tingled throughout my body. I lifted my hand and slowly knocked on the door. I flinched after doing so. My shaking was uncontrollable. Finally, the door in front of me opened, revealing a boy about my age. He had hair that was as white as a cloud. He wore jeans and a black sweater with a red shirt underneath._

_ "Why are you here?" He asked me curiously. I gulped, before finally replying._

_ "I am interested in joining Easter," I announced. He smiled softly._

_ "Great. I will lead you to our boss. Follow me." I complied, as he led me to the boss of Easter. The company had recently been sold to a new owner. _

_ As I stepped into the boss's office, I was immediately confronted with the smell of cigarette smoke. I coughed into my arm, dissatisfied with the smell. The boy who led me inside stepped forward, facing a curtain._

_ "Lorelei-San, I have brought you someone interested in joining Easter." The smell of smoke subsided suddenly. The curtain opened, revealing a middle-aged woman. She had thick brown hair that reached her shoulders. She wore glasses that reflected light. She smiled warmly upon seeing me. _

_ "Thank you Winter. Stand to the side," The boy, apparently called Winter, nodded and moved away. Lorelei placed her cigarette into an ash tray, and smiled up at me. "Well, my dear, how old are you?" _

_ "I am fifteen," I replied bluntly. _

_ "Hm, I wouldn't have guessed that..." I sighed, having been used to getting that. "Well, what is your name, and why did you want to join Easter?" _

_ "My name is Mashiro Rima. I am quite familiar with what you do, and it fascinates me." It wasn't the full truth, but the real truth would seem stupid. _

_ "Why does that name sound so familiar?" Lorelei wondered, pondering._

_ "Well, you may know me because I am a member of the guardians," I told her. _

_ "The guardians? You mean, Easter's biggest enemy?!" I nodded carefully. "Hm... You could be an extremely useful asset to me. You could find out the guardians' plans. That would be extremely beneficial." _

_ "I would be pleased to act as a spy," I stated. _

_ "Perfect. You can get started next time you attend a Guardian Meeting. Report to me everything they say." I nodded. "Winter, get Rima a room. It will be the spot she will sleep in, if your parents are alright with you staying here."_

_ "They're fine with it," I blurted a bit too quickly. Lorelei smiled, and handed Winter a key. _

_ "You will be staying in the second room on the fifth floor. Winter, show her there." Winter nodded, and led me to my room. _

_ "This is where you will be sleeping. The room is all to yourself and you will not share with anyone," Winter explained. "If you need anything Rima-San, don't hesitate to call me. This is my phone number." He handed me a slip of paper with his number on it._

_ "Thank you," I whispered. He smiled at me, before leaving and closing the door. I smiled widely as I seldom do, and collapsed on my bed._

_ "It feels so nice to away from them," I pointed out, sighing happily. "It's so...quiet."_

_ "Rima, are you sure this is right?" I turned my head, watching Kusu-Kusu float up. She looked worried. "You didn't have to come to Easter. Your friends could have taken care of you at their homes. You didn't have to betray them!" _

_ "You know I never really liked what they did. Easter has what I need, not them. Besides, I'm still with them also."_

_ "But you're telling Easter everything!" Kusu-Kusu pointed out. I sighed, and patted my chara's head._

_ "Relax Kusu-Kusu; you'll get used to it here. I promise." Hesitatingly, Kusu-Kusu nodded, and slowly went inside her egg. _

_ "Good night Rima..." She muttered, before falling asleep in her egg. _

_ "Night..." I closed my eyes, and fell asleep._

* * *

It had been three days since I joined Easter. It was so much better than hearing my parents fight. It felt so good telling them that I was moving out. If they were any other parents, they would have stopped me. However, they merely acknowledged me for not even a minute before returning to bicker. Maybe it hurt slightly, but it was also a colossal relief.

"Rima wake up! You'll miss the Guardian Meeting!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed. I opened my eyes, and quickly got dressed and brushed my teeth. It was convenient having my own bathroom. After I was dressed, I heard a gentle knock upon my door.

"Come in," I called. Slowly, the knob turned, revealing Winter. He was holding two cups of hot drinks. He handed me one of them.

"I heard you talking about how you like tea, so I figured I would get you some. It's Black Tea." I carefully took it, and pressed it to my lips. It tasted really good.

"Thanks," I told him, continuing to drink it. Winter smiled softly, watching me sip it. "I have to go. Guardian Meeting."

"Have fun. Do you need a ride?"

"You can drive?" I wondered.

"Well, it's a driving permit, but I'm allowed to within a certain area and your old school is within it." I nodded slowly.

"Ah. Well, I don't want to be accidentally seen with you, so I'll walk. Thanks though." I turned my head, my blonde hair flipping to the back of me. I exited the Easter Building, my tea in one hand. After four of the five guardians graduated from Seiyo, we had much difficulty finding new guardians. For a while, it was just two people, Yaya and Kairi. Since it was so impossible, my friends and I decided that it was just easier if we helped out despite us being in high school. Now, none of us were in Seiyo any longer, but we were still the guardians. I was going into my sophomore year. It was summer, so I wore jean shorts and a pink tank top.

"RIMA-TAN! YOU'RE SO LATE!" I didn't even have to look up to know who was speaking. Yaya embraced me tightly, making me nearly spill my tea all over her.

"Yaya, geez, you're going to be the death of me," I murmured, sighing. Yaya got off of me, and grinned. Pepe and Kusu-Kusu high-fived.

"Come on! The others are waiting!~" Yaya grabbed my arm, and dragged me. I sighed, and struggled to pry my arm out of her tight grip. The others glanced up at us, as we entered the Royal Garden. Yaya let go of my arm, making me flinch. No one really changed much from Elementary School.

"Rima! Aren't you awfully tardy?" Kukai teased, playfully shoving me.

"Whatever," I muttered, sitting down in my respectful chair as the Queen. Our positions were completely out-of-whack. Kukai once tried to make sense of it, but it turned out that three people were Jacks. We all eventually gave up on calling ourselves a certain chair.

"I thought your parents didn't let you walk?" Nagihiko wondered. I turned to him, and glared.

"And why do you know that? Creep."

"I just happened to remember," He pointed out.

"Well, for your information, they decided that I can. Happy?" Nagihiko raised an eyebrow, but nodded, smirking. I knew that in order to keep my secret from being exposed, I needed to be careful around him. Nagihiko was able to read people easily, and know when they were lying. He especially seemed to have a weird obsession with me. We tended to argue frequently, and I sometimes let certain things slip. I almost feel free when having interaction with him.

"Alright, we have a lot to discuss today," Tadase pointed out. Amu watched him keenly. I took out a notebook, and labeled the first page with the date.

"What are you writing?" Nagihiko asked. I glanced up at him.

"I'm taking notes," I replied bluntly. "It might be useful to have on record."

"You're like our little secretary," He teased. I rolled my eyes at him, and looked up at Tadase, waiting for him to speak.

"It seems a few weeks ago, Easter hired a new director. Like Ikuto and Utau's stepfather, she seems to have plans with X-Eggs. They seem to be increasing."

"I ran into a whole cluster of them yesterday," Nagihiko pointed out. "I was able to purify them, but..."

"Wait, _you_ were able to purify them?" I inquired, puzzled. He glanced at me, and nodded.

"Since when were you able to purify X-Eggs?" Amu asked, equally confused.

"Oh I realized it a few days ago. I guess it slipped my mind to tell you guys. I was with Kukai when we ran into some X-Eggs. I transformed with Temari, and I was able to purify them."

"Oh yeah!" Kukai exclaimed. I jotted down that Nagi could purify X-Eggs and the increase in X-Eggs.

"Lately, the X-Eggs appear to be having another method of attack. It seems they are more directly hitting us contrary to their projectile attacks. It seems it is vital for us to prepare accordingly, and..."

"Oh shut up Kairi-Kun!" Yaya interjected. Kairi narrowed his eyes at Yaya.

"Well, I know what Kairi means actually. The X-Eggs have been physically attacking us more often, hence my bruise," Amu admitted, holding up her arm.

"Amu-Chan, that looks like it hurts!" Tadase exclaimed.

"No, it's okay," Amu pointed out, smiling softly. They exchanged a glance of romance, making us all uncomfortable. However, I was the only one who had the guts to cough loudly. Both of them broke out of their trance, and blushed immensely.

"Well, there's not much more to say about X-Eggs. There's a lot of them, done. We should talk about the dance!" Kukai grinned.

"I suppose that is important too," Tadase pointed out. I sighed in boredom. This was the part that was extremely mundane and served absolutely no purpose in my objective.

"Right, so as all of you know, we're planning a dance that will be from students from all three schools," Tadase pointed out. "It's in two weeks I'm pretty sure."

"Yaya's totally looking forward to it!" Yaya exclaimed. "We should have a theme!"

"Isn't the theme already space?" Amu wondered.

"No, the theme is a carnival. Space was one of the options we were contemplating," Kairi explained. Amu nodded slowly.

"Aren't you going to write down stuff about the dance?" Nagihiko wondered, inching towards me. I shot a glare at him.

"I was about to!" I lied, jotting stuff down quickly.

"That's awfully sloppy Rima-Chan; are you sure we'll be able to read that?"

"Shut up," I muttered. "It's quite readable!"

"Maybe compared to Yaya-Chan's handwriting, but on any normal standard, it's illegible."

"The two of you! Stop flirting already." Both of us glanced up quickly. Nagihiko shot Kukai a glare, and I glanced at the ground, hiding my blush. Kusu-Kusu giggled quietly.

"W-We weren't..." Nagihiko stopped speaking, knowing Kukai wouldn't believe him.

"Anyway, back to the dance," I muttered quickly.

"Right. So..." Tadase's voice droned on and on, and I began spacing out. It seemed weird that I wasn't really apart of them anymore. All of them were unaware of my relations with Easter. For them it was any other day. I was still the Queen, or whatever position I was in their minds. In truth, I really was, but I wasn't on their side. All of the information being said was going to go immediately to Easter. There was a slight pounding in my chest, maybe guilt, but I ignored it.

"I have to go," I announced, standing up. All eyes turned to me. Amu and Tadase were now holding hands, and I could only guess Tadase just asked her out to the dance.

"Bye Rima! Wish me luck for asking Utau to the dance!" Kukai called.

"She'll say yes; she's dating you," I muttered, not really caring.

"See you tomorrow Rima-Chan," Nagihiko told me, waving. I gave him the tiniest hint of a smile, before turning around and exiting the Royal Garden. I knew I wouldn't be missing much.

* * *

"Welcome back Rima-San," Winter greeted, as I entered the Easter Building. I turned to him. "Did you find out anything interesting?"

"I have some notes," I informed him.

"Great! Lorelei-San will be interested." As if on cue, Lorelei made her way towards me. She smiled and greeted me, her breath full of smoke. I handed her my sheet of paper, and watched her read it.

"I can't read what this bottom part says..." I sighed, remembering what Nagihiko said about my handwriting.

"It's about some stupid dance they're holding," I explained. "My friend was asking why I wasn't writing the dance stuff down, so I had to..."

"Your friend?" Lorelei inquired.

"I meant former friend. Guardian member," I clarified, although I was confused to why I referred to Nagihiko of all people as my friend.

"This dance can actually prove to be significant. If the guardians are hosting it, we can attack then and possibly hold the guardians captive to allow our X-Egg production increase. When is it?"

"Ta... The leader of the guardians said in two weeks, but I don't know the exact date," I admitted.

"This is quite helpful. It seems the guardians know about the increase in X-Eggs. I will focus on making it more subtle. Thank you Rima; this will prove to be extremely helpful. Report back to me in the next guardian meeting." I nodded, watching her walk away.

"Rima-San, would you like some dinner?" I turned, startled by Winter's voice. I had forgotten he was still there.

"Oh... Um, sure..." I muttered.

"Great. Here, I'll show you to the cafeteria," Winter led me into the cafeteria. For all three of the days I have stayed her, the food had been brought to me by Winter.

"What would you like to eat?" He asked me kindly. I glanced around at all of the food options, and looked back at him.

"I'll have a salad, I guess..." I muttered. Winter turned away from me, and went to get a salad. Kusu-Kusu floated up, and grinned. I turned to her with a blank expression.

"That Winter guy is awfully charming," Kusu-Kusu pointed out.

"Not really. He's just being polite," I muttered.

"You've got your heart set on Nagi-Kun, right?" I glared at Kusu-Kusu.

"Why does everyone think I like him?! I hate him! He's my rival!" I whined, ignoring the blush that crept on my cheeks. Kusu-Kusu raised an eyebrow. "He _is_!" I insisted.

"We can go with that."

"But he is! Besides, I'm with Easter now; I don't give a crap about the guardians." Kusu-Kusu looked a little sad.

"Well whatever. This cafeteria is nice, isn't it?" Kusu-Kusu grinned.

"I guess."

"You have a chara?" Both Kusu-Kusu and I turned to face Winter. He placed a tray on the table, and sat adjacent to me.

"Oh, um, yeah, hence being a guardian," I pointed out. "You can see them?" Winter nodded.

"I had one of my own before..." I waited for him to finish his sentence, but he never did. I shrugged, and began to eat my salad.

"So... Do I owe you any money?" Winter laughed slightly.

"No, the food here is complementary to all Easter Employees," Winter explained. Being called an Easter employee seemed weird. I shrugged it off, and smiled softly, out of character.

"How long have you been apart of Easter, Winter?" I asked.

"About a year," Winter explained. "Lorelei and I actually joined around the same time, although it was only recent that Lorelei-San became the Director." I nodded slowly. "How long have you been apart of the guardians?"

"A while now," I admitted. "I moved here in the sixth grade, and that's when I joined. However, the whole premise got stupid after a while, and honestly, Easter's plans seem much more likely to happen."

"The Guardians always seemed foolish to me," Winter pointed out.

"Yeah, they are..." I put down my fork, having finished dinner.

"Rima-San, would you like to do something tonight, maybe see a movie?" Winter asked, almost eagerly.

"Thanks, but I think I'm just going to go rest in my room. See you later." I turned around, and made my way to my room.

When I arrived inside, I sat on my bed, and sighed. I opened my luggage, and finally took out everything I packed. I put the many outfits I packed into my drawers, and took out everything else. Upon unpacking, I came across some photographs. There was one with Amu, Yaya, and me. Amu and I both looked normal, whereas Yaya was sticking her tongue out and looking like a total idiot. I smiled softly, and pulled out another one underneath, which was one of Nagi and me. It was an awkward photo, but it was nice. Finally, there was one with everyone, including the Tsukiyomi siblings. We all looked really happy, the family. However, I no longer cared about them, so I told myself. I contemplated throwing it away, but I couldn't bring myself to doing so. Sighing, I stuffed them inside my luggage again, and collapsed onto my bed. I changed into pajamas, and despite it being seven o'clock, fell asleep.

* * *

**I hope you liked the first chapter! I know it was a bit boring. The story might move a bit slow, but I promise, it's going to get really good. Who is Winter and what secrets does he have? Who is this Lorelei boss person? Stay tuned for answers. Please review/favorite/alert! **


	2. Suspicion

**Yay, the next chapter is finally up! Without further ado, I own nothing, and please enjoy!**

* * *

In any other circumstance, the wind would have been bothersome while fighting X-Eggs. However, when the purification of the X-Eggs doesn't matter to you, it becomes irrelevant. My juggling pins kept missing by a long-shot, solely because of the wind's powerful gusts. One went so far out of its way, it ended up smacking Kukai square on the head. My first instinct was to wish it had gone slightly to the left, to hit the stupid purple-haired boy who stifled his laughter to help his friend.

"OW!" Kukai whined, watching the juggling pin collapse to the ground. He placed his hand on his head, and grunted in pain.

"Kukai, are you okay?" Nagihiko asked, biting his lip to keep from laughing. He glanced at me and rolled his eyes. Involuntarily, I felt my cheeks heat up at his mere glance.

"I'll live," Kukai reassured. Kukai turned to me as well. "Thanks Rima! Really appreciate it!" I could practically smell the sarcasm on his voice.

"It wasn't my fault. It was the stupid wind," I protested. Kukai walked toward me, and patted my head. For an instant, I was certain he would punch my head vigorously so I could reciprocate the pain. I flinched as he gently patted my head.

"I'm glad you're okay Kukai, but we have to focus on the X-Eggs," Amu declared. Kukai nodded, rubbing his head. I didn't feel guilty in the slightest bit. "Negative heart: lock on! Open heart!" Amu shot a bright pink force at the X-Eggs, and they immediately turned white and pure.

"Great job Amu-Chi!" Yaya grinned, sticking her thumbs up. Behind us, there was clapping. All of us turned, facing a familiar blonde with long pigtails. The way Kukai's eyes lit up made it seem like the pain in his head disappeared altogether.

"Utau!" Kukai exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"What, I'm not allowed to visit you guys?"

"I thought you were busy with practicing for your concert?" Utau glanced the other direction for a second.

"Yukari finally gave me a break," Utau finally replied, although the hesitation was pretty apparent. I glanced at Nagihiko, wondering if he heard it. Not to my surprise, his eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked deep in thought. I giggled quietly, noticing how cute he looked like that. I shook it off extremely quickly, appalled by my thoughts. He was the opposite of attractive!

"Great! Are you available tonight?" Kukai asked, winking seductively. Utau rolled her eyes at him.

"As a matter of fact, I'm actually not." Kukai pouted. "However, I wouldn't mind doing something with you tomorrow during lunch."

"Sounds like a blast!" Kukai smiled at her. At that moment, I heard my phone ringing. All eyes turned to me. Embarrassed, I fumbled within my pocket, seeing who it was from. My eyes lit up when I saw it was from Winter. What did he want though?

"It's just my mother," I lied coolly, walking away quickly. I didn't even want to see if Nagihiko believed that or not. I answered the phone. "Winter? What's up?"

"Rima, Lorelei-San would like you back immediately. Are you doing something of importance with the guardians?"

"Oh no, I can leave now. We, err, they just purified some X-Eggs, so I can go."

"Great. See you in a few." I hung up the phone, and put it away. I walked back over to the others.

"M-My mother wanted me to head home," I bluffed. "She needs me to help her around the house."

"Don't your parents usually want you at home at five?" Nagihiko asked.

"Okay, why the hell do you know that?"

"I don't know, I just happened to remember." He shrugged.

"Well, for your information Fujisaki, they wanted me home sooner." I turned my head, and walked away, forgetting to bid everyone else farewell.

* * *

"I'm glad you came," Lorelei greeted, as I entered the Easter Building.

"Winter mentioned that you wanted me to come back?" I remembered.

"Yes... There is something I would like to discuss with you and a few others. Come with me." I nodded, and followed her into a large room. She gestured toward a chair, and I immediately sat down. A few more people entered the room, and took seats. Winter entered and smiled at me, sitting beside me. The last person to enter the room made me nearly gasp. He was much taller than me, and his midnight-blue hair stood out. Fortunately, Ikuto seemed to not notice me. Why was he here? I remembered that fight against Easter three years ago against his step-father. Ikuto had quit Easter after that. Why would he return? Amu would be horrified. Even worse, what if Ikuto noticed me? He would surely tell the others. Fortunately, there were many people in the room. My heart began pounding, and I turned to Winter.

"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the concerned expression on my face. I leaned toward him, my lips inches away from his ear.

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi. Why is he here?"

"Oh, he's an interesting one. Lorelei-San knew his father very well. In fact, Ikuto's sister works here as well." I pondered for a minute. Utau wasn't really busy with her concert; she was busy with Easter. I remembered her deep hatred for Easter. Of all people, Utau wouldn't put up with this.

"Winter, I'm worried that Ikuto might notice me," I whispered. "He's friends with the guardians, and if he sees me, he might tell them my affiliations with you guys..."

"Don't worry. It is unlikely he'll notice you. If he does, I'll make certain he doesn't say anything." I thanked Winter, and faced the front of the room where Lorelei stood.

"Hello everybody," Lorelei greeted, her voice amplified by the microphone. "Well, most of you have your own individual task. However, we have information proving that the guardians are growing more experienced with X-Eggs. It's been almost four years since they began fighting them. It used to be only one girl, the Joker, that could purify them." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ikuto stiffen at the mention of Amu. "However, there are reports of other members purifying them. The normal formula used for creating X-Eggs will not be enough. That's why, our science department has developed a brilliant plan. Basically, the plan was developed while re-evaluating the initial formula. Your job, employees, is to plant these machines that enhance X-Eggs throughout the city. Not only do they strengthen the power of the X-Egg, but they weaken the power of the purification. You will be paired up with someone, and the two of you will go around tonight placing these. Sounds good?" Everyone nodded. "Meeting adjourned."

I glanced back at Ikuto, only to notice Utau sitting beside him. She must have come in late. Ikuto was explaining what she missed. She nodded, rolling her eyes.

"Rima, why don't we get the machines from Lorelei? Well, assuming you want to go with me..." I laughed slightly.

"Of course. Even if I didn't like you, I don't really know anyone else and there's no way I'd go with either Tsukiyomi unless I wanted to get caught." Winter smiled softly, and led me to the front.

"So you two are going together?" Lorelei asked, smiling. I nodded. She handed us some machines. "Rima, thank you so much for this information you have gathered these past few days. It's been extremely beneficial."

"No problem." I followed Winter out of the room, fortunately avoiding contact with Ikuto and Utau.

"So, shall we get started?" Winter asked. "Where do the guardians usually go?" I pondered for a moment.

"Well, obviously the Royal Garden, but the guardian meeting is definitely still going on. Then again, Utau left, so we can check it out." Winter nodded.

We decided to walk to the Royal Garden. Fortunately, it was completely empty. I glanced at Winter, who turned to me.

"Ready?" He asked. I nodded. We ran inside quickly, and I stuck one of the machines behind one of the plants. We quickly exited, just in case one of the guardians returned. We went to a few more places around town that I remembered fighting X-Eggs. After I hung one up in a tree in the park, with Winter's help getting up there, I heard someone call my name. I turned rapidly, expecting it to be Winter. However, Winter was nowhere to be found.

"Rima-Chan? Why are you in a tree?" The voice sounded too familiar to me. It was the last voice I wanted to hear at the moment, besides probably the voices of my parents. I gasped slightly, falling off of the tree. Before I could open my mouth to scream, I felt arms surround me immediately. I watched as his honey-golden eyes pierced into mine. For a moment, I found it impossible to look away. His eyes were gorgeous. Everything about him: the way his purple hair fell down his shoulders, the cute smile he gave me, seemed impeccable. I snapped out of my trance, and scurried out of his arms. I glanced away, concealing the redness on my face.

"W-What are you doing here?!" I wondered accusingly.

"I could ask you the same," His voice seem melodic, each word making me get this nervous sensation. What was up with this sudden attraction to him? I forced myself to look at him. Nagihiko was supposed to be my enemy; someone that I hated with a burning passion.

"W-Well, I asked first," I muttered stubbornly, crossing my arms. He chuckled slightly, making my insides churn.

"I like to come here sometimes. It's quite relaxing after having a long day. How about you? I thought your parents wanted you home early? Also, why were you in a tree?"

"I..." I thought for a moment, figuring out how to lie. At that moment, my phone beeped. I glanced at it, seeing it was from Winter. The text read: I left to avoid any suspicion. See you later.

"Who's it from?" Nagihiko asked, trying to read over my shoulder. I pulled my phone away from him, and glared.

"It's none of your business," I snapped coldly. I typed the letter "k" and pressed send.

"Well, you never answered my first question." I contemplated replying the same way, but I decided that would only raise skepticism.

"I just hate being home. I want a break from my parents..." I muttered. It wasn't a complete lie, but it was definitely believable. Everyone knows my detestation of my parents' fighting, and Nagihiko surely wouldn't press for more answers.

"I know how you feel," He admitted, sighing. I glanced up at him. He sat down on a bench. I considered running from him at that moment, but obviously that would raise inquiries. I sat beside him instead. "It can be awfully stressful at my place with my dancing. It must suck to live like that..." I nodded.

"Yeah, it can drive you to insanity sometimes," I murmured. I really just wanted this conversation to end. It was difficult bluffing to Nagihiko. Contrary to my mind, a warm sensation spread through my body, and I felt a strange sense of happiness speaking to him. He nodded.

"So... Why were you on that tree anyway? How did you even get up there?" I glared at him.

"I have some athleticism," I lied. "I-It's relaxing climbing trees; you know that! You always do it with Rhythm!" He shrugged.

"If you are even slightly athletic, then how come you always get so worn out after running for such a short distance?" He was making my life so difficult.

"I don't have...stamina!" I bluffed. He raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of me. I decided to change the subject quickly. "So, um, how's your dancing coming along?"

"Fine," He bluntly replied, the incredulous expression upon his face impossible to miss. There was a silence between us. I sighed, deciding to end the awkwardness.

"My parents probably want me home now," I lied, standing up suddenly.

"Wait Rima-Chan!" I paused, glancing back at him. He seemed like he was about to say something, but his expression quickly reverted to a smile. "Have a good day." I turned around, and walked away.

* * *

I arrived back at the Easter Base, only to come into contact with Winter. He always seemed to be around whenever I was there. It would take someone blind, or possibly Amu, not to see that Winter had a huge crush on me. The way he always showed up around me and gave me smiles was very obvious.

"How did it go with the guardian?" Winter asked, without a proper greeting. Referring to Nagihiko as the guardian seemed odd, but I shrugged it off.

"I held my guard, but Nagihiko's always been the cynical type," I admitted. "Of all people, I have to be careful around him." Winter nodded.

"Nagihiko... Is there a relation to Nadeshiko Fujisaki?" I turned to Winter surprised. How would he know Nadeshiko.

"Yeah, she's, um... Nagi's twin sister," I lied, confused to why I decided to keep Nagihiko's secret. Winter thought for a moment. "How do you know her?"

"Oh...our paths briefly crossed..." I nodded slowly, though it was pretty apparent he was hiding something.

"Ah...Well, I'm going to head up to my room. See you tomorrow Winter!" He waved goodbye to me, as I went into my designated room. I collapsed onto my bed, without changing into pajamas. It seemed odd to me that Nagihiko and Winter once knew each other. I was extremely curious, but I knew I wouldn't get anything out of Winter and bringing it up would only further increase Nagihiko's suspicion. I closed my eyes. For some reason, I had the feeling that the two of them wouldn't like each other.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, shivering in my blanket. It wasn't the temperature of the room that made the goosebumps creep across me, but it was the recollection of my dream. The dream started as a memory that I often had: my kidnapping. That incident was quite traumatic. However, unlike the actual events that occurred, the police never came to save me. Instead, it was Lorelei and Winter, and the guardians as well. After I was saved, they were both standing there, Easter separated from the guardians. Their hands were outstretched, both of them desiring me. Before I had the chance to make my decision, I was awake.

"Morning Rima! Wow, you look as pale as a ghost!" I glanced over at Kusu-Kusu, watching her float up.

"Yeah...just a bad dream, that's all," I admitted, yawning. I changed into a new outfit, and stepped out of my room. As I exited the Easter Building to meet the guardians, I was surprised not to find Winter at all. He always found some way to talk to me. I shrugged it off, and continued my walk to the Royal Garden.

"RIMA-TAN GUESS WHAT?" Yaya's loud voice was not what I wanted to hear at that particular moment. I groaned.

"What," I muttered, not even bothering to conceal my lack of interest.

"THEY OPENED A NEW CANDY SHOP!" Yaya squealed. I shrugged, taking my seat in the Royal Garden.

"Yaya, that's not the news you should be so excited about," Amu scolded. Yaya moaned loudly sighing.

"Well, Yaya's excited about the candy shop too!" Yaya whined. "Fine, Kairi-Kun and Yaya are going to the dance together!" Yaya's unhappiness was replaced with happiness quickly. Kairi averted eye contact, his face as red as a tomato. I glanced upward, surprised. Yaya had been talking to me for weeks about asking Kairi to the dance, and it seems she finally did. I was happy for her. I shook off those thoughts immediately. I'm a spy for Easter; I don't care about these insignificant details.

"I'm really happy for you two," Nagihiko told them.

"Nagi-Tan, are you going to the dance with anyone? Yaya knows that Amu-Chi and Tada-Tan are going together, and obviously Yaya and Kairi-Kun. Also, Kukai is asking Utau-Chi today at their lunch, but what about you? And Rima-Tan?" I glanced up for a moment.

"I'm not interested in this whole dance thing," I murmured. "I'll go to help out, but I'm not dancing."

"Haven't any of your fan-boys asked you out?" Amu wondered.

"I haven't really run into any of them, since it's summer. Even if they did, I hate them, so I would say no," I muttered.

"What about you Nagi-Tan?" Yaya asked.

"Maybe." He shrugged.

"Maybe? Wow, you two are so boring!" Yaya whined.

"Whatever. Let's focus on the X-Eggs and Easter; that should be more of a pressing concern then the dance," I pointed out, changing the subject.

"Yeah, you're probably-" The breaking of the glass interrupted Tadase. Yaya screamed, clutching Kairi's arm. X-Eggs filed inside, and began glowing a dark-blue color. I glanced over at the plant where I hid the small machine behind. I noticed it was lighting up. It was working.

"Wow Rima-Tan! You jinxed it! The minute you mentioned X-Eggs they came!" Yaya exclaimed.

"Oh yeah..." It actually was somewhat of a coincidence. I turned my head away from the plant, only to notice Nagihiko's eyes on me. When I faced him, I could see the incredulous stare he gave me. I stuck my tongue out at him, hoping to distract him from his speculations. He raised an eyebrow, and smirked at me.

"Ah!" Amu screamed, getting knocked back. Tadase caught her before she hit the ground.

"You two are so slow! You haven't even transformed!" Yaya whined. I broke my gaze with him, and transformed, slightly flustered. I shot some juggling pins at the X-Eggs, who all destroyed them. Oh well. It wasn't like I cared at all or anything.

"Rima-Chan, tie them up!" Nagihiko commanded. I turned to him.

"Why would I take orders from _you_ of all people?" I muttered.

"Now isn't the time to be stubborn! We're fighting X-Eggs."

"Well, these X-Eggs are the same as any other and they are simple to fight."

"These are glowing blue, and so is that machine over there. Coincidence? I think not." All eyes directed to the machine that I had previously installed.

"I noticed that too..." I admitted, trying not to sound suspicious. "Maybe, for once in your life Fujisaki, you're right. But they could still just be normal X-Eggs that are blue." He glanced at me for a moment, almost trying to read me. I turned my head away from him quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, I noticed him roll his eyes.

"Anyway, my initial point is that you should tie up the X-Eggs, _please_." I gave in, deciding not to sound super suspicious, and used my ropes to constrain the X-Eggs. Nagihiko stood forward, and began to purify them. Unbeknownst to him, the X-Eggs escaped my ropes.

"Nagi, watch out!" I cried, surprised to why I warned him. He ended the purification, and dodged the attack, cart-wheeling out of the way. He landed on his feet, and gave me a bemused expression. I cursed mentally. Why did I call him Nagi? I always call him Fujisaki! I only refer to him as Nagi when I'm not with him.

"You can be so bipolar..." He muttered slowly. I realized that was probably more noticeable than the nickname I called him. I realized that I had been extremely rude, and then changed to the opposite.

"Duckies! Attack!" Yaya announced. She sent duckies to attack the dark-blue X-Eggs. I tried to tie them up again, proving successful for now. Yaya's ducks continued to attack the X-Eggs.

"Fujisaki, purify them quickly before they can escape," Kairi suggested. Nagihiko nodded, and performed his purification. The X-Eggs turned their normal color, before quickly changing back.

"The machine. It is likely that it is preventing the purification." Nagihiko turned towards it. "When did it even get here?" Amu shot her baton at it, watching it break. She turned to the X-Eggs, and purified them.

"Wow Amu-Chan, way to steal the spotlight," Nagihiko teased. Amu batted her eyelashes at him. Everyone ended the transformation.

"When did Easter plant this machine?" Tadase wondered, glancing at it. Kairi lifted it, examining its contents.

"I will take it back to my place to examine it," Kairi suggested.

"I suppose our meeting is over. We will report back here tomorrow to see Sanjou-Kun's findings," Tadase suggested. Like everyone else, I exited the Royal Garden, and quickly left to return to Easter.

* * *

When I returned, Winter was nowhere to be seen. He always greeted me when I returned. I hoped that nothing was wrong.

"Winter?" I called, searching around for him.

"Where could he be?" Kusu-Kusu wondered, as puzzled as me. I shrugged, and continued to glance around.

"...Rima?!" I turned around, hoping it was Winter. To my dismay, it was most certainly not Winter. The dark midnight-blue color of his hair was not what I wanted to be standing in front of me at that moment.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Now that Ikuto spotted her in Easter, what will happen? Will her secret remain? Stay tuned. Please review/alert/favorite!**


	3. Sincerity

**This chapter is likely the last chapter that will be posted semi-quickly for a long time. I am not going to have another break until summer, so I will try to update as frequently as possible. I've been looking forward to this chapter, so here goes! I own nothing, except OCs, and enjoy.**

* * *

At that moment, I could have passed out. Time seemed to stand still, and my breaths began to increase rapidly. As the bemused expression of Ikuto stared into my face, I could only feel a sense of nerves tingle through me.

"O-Oh, um, I-Ikuto..." I began.

"What are you doing here?!" Ikuto asked accusingly. I gulped, feeling sweat pour down my neck. My plan was flawless; no one should have figured it out.

"Ikuto, you can't tell the guardians," I pleaded.

"You work here, don't you?" I took a gulp, but didn't answer his question. He sighed, and shook his head. "Why would you join this revolting organization _voluntarily_?"

"I-I agree with their goals more than the goals of the guardians. I never liked the guardians. They were simply a waste of time, and all talk."

"Of course you liked them! You didn't quit." Ikuto's eyes widened. "So, you're the one who has been obtaining information for them lately. You've been acting as a spy. You betrayed your only friends."

"That's not even true! I have other friends here at Easter," I claimed.

"Who would you befriend at a terrible place like this?"

"Me." Both of us glanced up, seeing Winter. He made his way toward us, standing beside me. He crossed his arms, and glared at Ikuto. Ikuto turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Winter Solus. You're definitely not someone I would have expected to see again."

"The pleasure is mine," Winter spat sarcastically. I eyed them both, puzzled by the clear contempt between them. "Now, you leave Rima alone, and don't tell the guardians about her affiliations with Easter."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because, you will regret it if you don't," Winter snapped coldly. Ikuto smirked slightly.

"Is that a threat?" He snarled.

"Yeah, it is." The two boys glared at each other. I watched, unsure of what to say or do. Obviously, I was sided with Winter.

"Ikuto, I've been looking for you... Winter?!" Utau walked over to the group of us, watching Winter in shock. He didn't glance up at Utau.

"It's been a while," He whispered.

"That's right, you're with Easter," Utau remembered. "I didn't even think about running into you again..." She sighed, and glanced over at me. Her eyes widened.

"Both of you will keep quiet about Rima's work," Winter hissed.

"Rima, you _work_ here?! Why the hell would you betray the guardians like that?!" Utau exclaimed.

"They were getting annoying," I calmly replied.

"I'm not keeping quiet. If you're acting as a spy, there's no way you're keeping that from the guardians."

"I don't think Lorelei-San would be too pleased with you if you told them," Winter warned.

"And why do we give a crap about that?"

"Do you know the torture she would have you experience? Not only that, but she would take your friend, the Joker." Ikuto flinched, but shot us a glare.

"You're a bastard," Utau muttered. She turned to me again. "And you, Rima Mashiro. Because your friends got 'annoying,' you are dumping them for the enemy? I never got a positive vibe from you. You're an idiot, getting involved with this terrible organization." I watched, as the siblings walked away, clearly in disgust.

"I'm sorry about them. The issue is cleared up, don't worry," Winter promised, smiling at me. After seeing him glare at Ikuto and Utau in that way, it seemed surprising to see him smile.

"It's alright... Did you know them well?" I asked, surprised by the anger they exchanged. How was it that Winter had been close with the Tsukiyomis, and Nagihiko as well?

"More or less. We've always hated each other. It's a bit complicated." That's how it always was with Winter. He never answered any questions regarding his personal life. It only made him more mysterious.

"Hey Winter... where were you this morning?" I asked.

"Sorry, Lorelei-San assigned me a specific task of securing the machines and strengthening them."

"Oh yeah, the guardians found one of them at the Royal Garden. One of them is taking it to their house to investigate," I explained.

"That shouldn't be a huge deal. They won't find anything. The machines were configured in an advanced manner." Winter took a deep breath. "Rima, are you doing anything for the rest of the evening?" I looked at Winter surprised.

"N-No..."

"I wanted to know if you wanted to go out for dessert with me, and maybe see a movie?" My face heated up. Did Winter just ask me out on a date? I never dated a guy before, let alone a guy I only knew for a week. It wasn't that I didn't like Winter, but I wasn't quite sure I saw him as a love interest. I studied him for a moment. He was definitely attractive He certainly cared about me and expressed an immense interest in me. He was quite charming. Maybe he was exactly what I wanted. Yet, something seemed to be pushing me away, repelling me away from him. It wasn't right. But, why wasn't it right?

"Rima?" His voice broke my thoughts. I smiled calmly, snapping back to reality.

"Sorry... Oh, um, well, I, err..."

"Hello you two." We glanced up, facing Lorelei. The scent of her breath made it apparent she had just been smoking. I stifled my coughs, and concealed my oncoming blush. Winter glanced at the ground. "How was everything with the guardians?"

"It, um, went fine... They discovered the machine," I explained again.

"That shouldn't be a problem. They won't be able to figure it out." Lorelei smiled. "Rima, you should get some rest; you need to be fully conscious for the guardian meeting." I nodded, waving quickly to Winter before hurrying off to my room.

"Rima got asked out!" Kusu-Kusu teased, giggling nonsensically.

"Shut up!" I snapped at my chara. She continued to giggle, floating around happily. I sighed, changing into my nightgown.

"Are you going to say yes to a different date?" Kusu-Kusu asked eagerly.

"I... don't know..." I admitted, collapsing onto my bed. "He's nice and all, but I don't know if I want him like that."

"Aw, but Rima! It would be your first boyfriend!" Kusu-Kusu whined. I shot her a glare.

"It wouldn't be a boyfriend thing, anyway. He was just asking for a little date, not a commitment," I pointed out. Kusu-Kusu pouted. As I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but to think about someone completely different. I could practically feel his soft violet hair in my fingers. His smile pierced through my mind. I smiled involuntarily, hugging my blanket close to me. Kusu-Kusu giggled, thinking Winter was the cause of my smile. Little did she know, my worst enemy was the only factor preventing me from dating Winter.

* * *

**(No POV)**

"Is she under control?" Lorelei asked, brushing her brown hair to the back of her. "I am pretty sure she's on our side, but we need to take all necessary precautions."

"I trust her," Winter told her. Lorelei rolled her eyes.

"Don't let your feelings for her cloud your judgment Winter. She might seem like the perfect girl, but be warned, she _was_ a guardian. Just keep an eye on her. Make sure she does not do anything rash, and take note on any suspicious behavior." Winter nodded carefully, watching Lorelei walk away.

* * *

My eyes opened upon hearing the loud buzzing of my cell phone. I grabbed my phone and flipped it open, seeing it was from Amu.

"Hey," I greeted lazily, not completely awake. "What's up?"

"Hey! You're coming to the guardian meeting, right?"

"Um... yeah?" I was really confused. There was giggling from the other line. I cocked an eyebrow. "Okay... see you soon!" Just like that, Amu hung up the phone abruptly. I sat there for a moment, completely puzzled. That was an extremely odd conversation.

"Morning Rima!" Kusu-Kusu greeted, floating up. I gave my chara a small smile, changing into my clothes. It had sounded like others were at the Royal Garden, so I figured I should go quickly. I glanced at the clock, realizing it was after eleven. I exited my room, and began to leave the Easter Building. On my way out, I crashed straight into someone. I fell backward, dropping my bag.

"Oh, Rima! I-I apologize." It didn't take me long to realize it was Winter. I smiled softly.

"N-No, I should have been more careful," I admitted, picking my bag up quickly. We exchanged an awkward smile, leaving Kusu-Kusu to giggle maniacally. I flicked her backward, rolling my eyes.

"Are you going to the guardians today?" Winter asked, regaining his composure.

"Yeah... they seemed eager for me to come today," I told him. "Oh hey, um, about yesterday..." Winter blushed, and glanced at the ground.

"Don't worry about it," He muttered. "You're not interested, I get it..." I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly closed when I saw Lorelei walk by. I greeted her politely. She turned to me, smiling warmly.

"Get some good information from the guardian meeting today," Lorelei called. I nodded, giving Winter a quick smile before exiting.

"Rima! You should have told him that you were interested!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed. I turned to my chara, rolling my eyes.

"Kusu-Kusu, I don't even know if I am interested. I told you, I don't think I want him..."

"But I saw you smiling last night," Kusu-Kusu teased, winking. I sighed.

"I was smiling because of... ugh never mind," I muttered, my face heating up slightly. Kusu-Kusu cocked her head to the side. She must have been so confused.

Finally, I arrived at the Royal Garden. Peering inside, I noticed everyone else was already there. When I walked inside, I noticed that Yaya was braiding Nagihiko's hair into various pigtails. He wasn't protesting, leaving me to surmise that he had simply given up.

"Hello Rima-Chan," He greeted, smiling at me. Amu and Yaya started giggling, leaving me to glance at them oddly. Amu had a heart hairpin on, due to her character change.

"Don't address me so informally, cross-dresser," I snapped, brushing some of my hair out of my face. He rolled his eyes, removing the braids that Yaya had recently formed. She pouted, walking away.

"It's nice to see you Mashiro-San," Tadase told me.

"Yeah... Sorry I was late," I apologized. "Did I miss anything?"

"Well, I attempted to decipher the device Easter installed, but I was unsuccessful in my efforts," Kairi explained. I sighed a breath of relief quietly, knowing Lorelei would be pleased. I jotted that down in my notebook I kept for the guardian meetings. "Not much else occurred though," Amu and Yaya exchanged grins, making me certain there was something up.

"Those blue X-Eggs from yesterday seemed awfully suspicious," Nagihiko pointed out. "As we know, that machine likely impacted it, but we still don't know how..."

"Maybe Nikaidou-Sensei would know?" Amu asked. Although he hadn't been her teacher for years, she still addressed him as her sensei. "I mean, I know he loved robots..."

"I inquired Yuu about it as well, but he does not have any specialty with mechanics," Kairi admitted. "His adoration of robotics was merely a childish activity."

"So?! People can like what they liked as a child!" Yaya pointed out. Kairi raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, anyway, let's get back to business," Tadase announced, redirecting the meeting. "Fujisaki-Kun is right; does anyone have a theory to how the blue X-Eggs formed?" I held my breath. Of course, Nagihiko happened to be looking at me. I glanced at his direction, sticking my tongue at him. He chuckled lightly, smiling softly. It seemed strangely out of character for him. I could feel heat rising to my cheeks, so I glanced away quickly.

"Well, we are pretty certain that it was caused by those machines, but how did the machine get inside the Royal Garden?" Amu wondered.

"Well, someone had to put it there," Kukai noted.

"Duh!" Yaya pointed out. "Wait, but when would they have put it in?"

"It must have been after our guardian meeting, which ended at approximately six yesterday. Someone must have known we meet here, but how would they have found out?" I gulped. They were getting closer to the truth. I could feel my heart practically pump out of my chest. I couldn't let them found out; they'd never forgive me. Wait, since when did I care if they found out for that reason? I didn't care about them; I _couldn't_. However, I had to act, play a role of a girl who cares. I glanced over at Nagihiko. He was familiar with acting as a girl for all of his life. He could play the part of whoever, and despite his own emotions, he did a convincing job.

"Maybe they were watching us?" I wondered, veering them off track. Everyone turned to me.

"That would make sense. I mean, it's not like the Royal Garden is in a particularly hidden spot," Nagihiko agreed. Yaya and Amu snickered.

"I have to get home soon," Tadase announced. "I promised my grandmother that I would spend time with her and she goes to bed early, so I ought to go now."

"Have a good time Tadase-Kun," Amu told him. Tadase smiled at her. Since Tadase left, all of us decided to leave the Royal Garden. I was relieved to go back to Easter. I could open up there and keep no secrets. Winter had become someone I could talk to almost freely. It felt nice to go back and relax. I turned to start walking to the Easter Building. Of course, I heard a voice calling my name. I turned around, facing a familiar purple-head. I didn't really want to deal with him now; I was tired. Contrary to my opinion, my face turned as red as an apple.

"What do you want, cross-dresser?" I wondered, sighing.

"Why are you walking this way anyway? Isn't your house the other way?" I was beginning to get slightly frightened by the fact he knew that and a lot of random information about me.

"Well, there's some groceries my mother wanted me to pick up," I muttered lying. Before he could get skeptical of me, I changed the topic. "If that's all you had to say, I'll be on my way."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you."

"Well, I have to-" My voice trailed off, sighing. It would sound too suspicious if I had to mysteriously go. I quickly smiled. "Never mind, my parents are actually coming home late today, so I can talk." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well, um... C-Can we sit down?" He seemed slightly nervous. He gestured toward the bench. I nodded, sitting beside him. I pushed my hair over my shoulder shyly, facing him.

"What's up?" I wondered, curious now. I glanced around, trying not to meet his eyes. Kusu-Kusu was nowhere to be found, likely with Temari and Rhythm somewhere else. Of course, he was the only thing there. I glanced back at him, allowing myself to become entranced by his honey-golden eyes. He took a deep breath, before speaking.

"I...I have thought about how to say this for so long, but I'm just going to be blunt about it. I like you Rima-Chan. I like you more than just a simple friend, and I want more with you." My insides swelled up, and I felt frozen. I felt like Amu, with my face completely red. I couldn't believe it. I should have seen it coming for a while now. Even if I wanted to deny my feelings for him, I knew I was unable.

"U-Um, I, err..." It was the same reaction I had with Winter. The thought of my newest friend and remembering his offer to go out made me feel sick suddenly. Nagi had been the sole reason I didn't date Winter, and here I was, sitting beside my supposed rival who had just confessed to me.

"Y-You don't have to accept it..." He whispered, a quiver in his voice. I noticed that despite his effort to suppress, he was blushing madly, as much as me. I knew I couldn't date him. I worked for Easter. It would just be wrong, to betray him after dating him. Yet...

"I-I like you too," I admitted timidly. "I tried to deny it, but it's kind of stupid and pointless, I suppose..." He smiled softly. I felt his fingers intertwine with mine.

"So... does that mean you'll come to the dance with me?" I nearly forgot about that dance. It was going to be when Easter attacked, with so many kids gathered in one spot. This relationship could be so much more than just a relationship. It was perfect. Nagihiko was the one that was the most suspicious of me. If he dated me, he would trust me. A sickening feeling formed in my chest. It was so opportune, so beneficial to me and Easter. Nagihiko would have no idea, and simply think it was a romance.

"Of course," I shyly replied. "So... are we now a couple?"

"That's what I was hoping for, to date you..." I smiled shyly, and stood up slowly, sliding my hand out of his.

"Well, I'm in. I better get going, but I'll definitely speak to you later." He nodded, smiling as well. I walked away, feeling my face heat up. Despite my plan of manipulating him, I could feel my cheeks practically exploding.

"Rima wait up!" I paused slightly, allowing Kusu-Kusu to catch up. She giggled, smiling immensely. "So, that's why you denied Winter!" I sighed, and continued walking.

"Dating Nagi isn't going to be more than just an aspect of my plan. He will trust me, and he won't doubt me. It's perfect." Kusu-Kusu's smile faded.

"But Rima, why would you hurt Nagi like that?" She asked.

"I told you, we don't care about the guardians' feelings; we care about Easter."

"You love Nagi though, I can see it in your eyes! You actually do have feelings for him. You just want to be with him." I didn't say anything. I didn't have a response. I was currently confused about my feelings, although I was fairly certain I actually liked him. I couldn't though; he was just a tool to utilize.

I arrived back at the Easter Headquarters, only to be greeted by Lorelei. I smiled at her, greeting her politely.

"How come you took so long?" She asked.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. I had an idea." Lorelei nodded.

"We'll discuss this over dinner. Get something to eat and bring it to my office." I got a bowl of salad, and carried it to her office. I sat down on a chair, sitting across from her. I tried not to inhale her smoke.

"Well... You know that dance I mentioned a week ago?"

"Yes? Is there a problem with it, or our plans to attack that day?"

"No, but... just before I got here, one of the guardians asked me out. I said yes, so he'll trust me and not suspect anything." Lorelei smirked.

"That's definitely smart. If you date one of them, they certainly won't suspect anything. Just don't get carried away." I nodded. I stood up, and left Lorelei's office, holding my salad bowl. Of course as I exited, I came into contact with Winter.

"Oh, um, hi Winter," I greeted, slightly uncomfortable.

"Hello..." He greeted as well. "I, um, overheard your conversation with Lorelei-San..." I gulped, glancing at the ground.

"Winter, don't worry about it. It's nothing more than just a plan, and it's not serious," I reassured, although I wasn't entirely certain who I was reassuring.

"I'm glad." Before I could blink, Winter moved closer to me, and suddenly removed the space between us. I froze, feeling his lips on mine. I was too shocked to kiss back. He backed away, smiling slightly. "I've wanted to do that ever since we got close." I nodded, stunned. He took my bowl from me, and carried it downstairs. I stood still for about five minutes, before finally deciding to go to my bedroom. I collapsed onto my bed.

"Rima..." Kusu-Kusu floated over to me. "You can't have both of them."

"One of them isn't sincere," I muttered.

"...Which one?" Kusu-Kusu wondered. I didn't reply. The answer should have been obvious, but it wasn't. I glanced over to my bag, seeing the photos I had taken with me. I noticed the one with Nagihiko and me first. Involuntarily, I felt a dopey smile cross my face. Kusu-Kusu watched where I was staring, and giggled. I glanced over to one with Amu, Yaya, and me. I glanced at Amu for a moment. It seemed I had much more in common with her then I would have ever thought.

* * *

**I know I'm not being too secretive of Rima's preferred choice. I mean, it's one of my biggest OTPs. However, it's going to get really good/interesting soon. Anyway, please review/favorite/alert! My birthday is next Saturday, and you know, a review is a good enough gift...;). **


	4. Doubt

**I'll start off simply: I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN OVER A MONTH. You can thank schoolwork, Writer's Block, and my other story Umbrageous Universe (hey you should check it out if you haven't). On a side note, I wanted to thank the song Clarity by Zedd for inspiring me to write this. It basically motivated me to not only do this chapter but start the story. Well, without further ado, I present you the next chapter of Betrayal. I own nothing, except OCs, and enjoy!**

* * *

Being attracted to someone can be quite a nuisance. Whenever you want to focus on something, your mind directly leads to him, distracting you from the rest of the world. Just the mere image of his smile makes my insides churn. I shudder at the feeling of him touching me, recalling the memory of his fingers intertwining with mine. I always imagine his honey-golden eyes piercing through mine, making me feel motionless in his presence. My heart races faster than a racecar can drive. I smile when I feel his fingers upon my cheek, gingerly caressing me. Warmness spreads through my chest, filling me with a weird sense of giddiness. There is nothing more that I seek then that long violet hair. I want myself to move closer to him, to break that gap of air that separates us. I want to feel my lips on his, and kiss him. I want him. I want…

"Rima-San, are you paying attention?" Suddenly, I blinked rapidly, focusing on the world. I was in the last place that Nagihiko would ever be. Instead, I was surrounded with a silver-haired boy, who was frowning slightly. My smile immediately evaporated, and I reverted to my cold persona.

"Y-Yeah," I lied, not wanting to tell Winter of all people about my thoughts. "Something about X-Egg manipulation?"

"No, that's what the guardians are planning," Winter reminded me. "We were discussing how to counter that, and about our plans for the dance tomorrow." Right. The dance. Winter's face fell when he mentioned the dance.

"Oh. I knew that."

"Rima-San…" Winter lowered his voice. "You've been acting distracted lately."

"I'm just tired now. It's early in the morning," I pointed out.

"It's ten."

"I just woke up." Winter was unconvinced.

"You've been this way for a week now, ever since we…" I glanced up at him, surprised. It was the first time he made any reference to the time he kissed me. "I apologize for my actions. I overstepped my boundary…"

"It's not a big deal," I muttered. "Really, it's not." Winter smiled, softening. Unlike Nagihiko, Winter could accept something simply. He was not able to read peoples' lies perfectly.

"Is everything in order for tomorrow's dance? Does your _boyfriend_ suspect anything?" He sneered the word boyfriend, emphasizing his disdain for it. My heart involuntarily fluttered, thinking of him as my boyfriend. No, I couldn't think this way. He was merely a pawn in my master plan. I had no feelings for him.

"He thinks it's simply a romantic occasion," I told him. He smiled. "Well, I better get going. Guardian meeting."

"Report to Lorelei anything you discover." I nodded, hurrying out of the Easter Headquarters.

"Kusu-Kusu, do I look alright?" I murmured to my chara, as we walked to the Royal Garden. Kusu-Kusu giggled uncontrollably at that question. I ran fingers down my blonde hair, in an attempt to fix anything she could be theoretically laughing at. "I don't look _that_ bad, do I?"

"Of course not Rima!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed, suppressing her laughter. "It's just adorable that you're concerned for looking good for _Nagi_." I frowned.

"I just don't want to look like a pig…for my friends!" I quickly added the last part. "I-I mean the guardians. I…don't want to look suspicious. So, I want to look pretty!" Kusu-Kusu's smile faded.

* * *

Finally, I arrived outside of the Royal Garden. For some arbitrary reason, I felt nervous. I took a deep breath, before entering. Like usual, the sight inside was not exactly normal. Yaya was probably high off of something, as she was bouncing around, quite literally. Her laugh was loud and obnoxious, making me cover my ears. Kukai was almost as exuberant, incessantly poking Kairi, who was desperately trying to push him off. Tadase was screaming loudly with a firm crown apparent on his head, making it evident that someone was trying to annoy him. Amu was performing some weird cheerleading thing since she was character changed with Ran. Lastly, there was the boy who hardly ceased to make my heart beat rapidly. One wouldn't ordinarily think that I would be so attracted to him if they saw the Royal Garden at that moment. His violet hair was tied back into a firm ponytail and he held a naginata, character-changed with Temari. He was loud as well. These actions of my supposed friends made me only further support my decision of joining Easter.

"RIMA-TAN IS HERE! HURRAH!" Yaya screamed at the top of her lungs, tackling me to the ground.

"Off," I snapped coldly. Yaya complied, but still bounced in front of me.

"OOOH IS RIMA-TAN IN A MOOD TODAY?"

"No, but you're annoying me." Yaya pouted, and faked crying quite loudly. Kairi gave me a small smile, before his glasses were removed thanks to Kukai.

"DAMN KAIRI YOU'RE HOT WITHOUT GLASSES!" Kairi's face turned shades of red at that comment by Yaya. I had almost forgotten they were attending the dance together. I sat down at my designated spot at the table, being the only one besides Kairi to do so.

"Kairi, geez! How do you see out of these things?" Kukai wondered, wearing his glasses. He walked forward, crashing into a wall. Nagihiko ended his transformation, chuckling at his friend. I couldn't help but to think of how cute his chuckle was. I watched him, as he removed the hair tie from his hair, narrowing his eyes slightly at his chara. Before I could blink, I watched him turn to face me, giving me a smile. Without thinking, I smiled back. We watched each other for a few more seconds.

"NAGI-TAN AND RIMA-TAN ARE STARING AT EACH OTHER!" Yaya screamed loudly. I broke out of my trance, my cheeks heating up. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him blush as well and shoot Yaya a glare.

"Well, why don't we all calm down and hold our meeting?" Tadase's character change terminated, and he looked slightly flustered. Amu's ended too and she nodded, joining us at the table. Yaya was still hyper but she was forced to sit down.

"Sanjou-Kun, have you gotten any further with your research regarding the controlling of X-Eggs?" Nagihiko asked. I noticed his hand slide underneath the table, and slip through my fingers. I beamed slightly.

"Yes. I have hypothesized that in order to fully utilize the abilities of an X-Egg, it is required to use Hinamori-San." Amu glanced upward. "Since she possesses the necessary methods of purification that the majority of us do not possess, her abilities can be utilized to reverse the motivation of the X-Egg, and target Easter instead."

"Nagi-Tan can purify too!" Yaya piped up.

"Yes, Fujisaki-Kun is able to undergo the same process if need be. Tsukiyomi-San as well."

"It's pretty obvious Easter is planning something big, given the abundance of X-Eggs lately. Perhaps they are experimenting and have intentions of striking at the right time." Nagihiko's eyes widened. "The dance tomorrow. The concentration of X-Eggs has been increasing lately! It makes sense." My eyes darted upward.

"That is definitely a likely consideration. If that is the case, then we must prepare immediately. The dance is occurring tomorrow, and if Fujisaki-San's hypothesis is valid, then…"

"No, it's not!" All eyes turned to me. I took a deep breath. "Easter knows we're going to be there, so why would they want us there to immediately purify the X-Eggs?"

"True, but we should still take necessary precautions," Kairi suggested. I opened myself to speak, but Yaya beat me to it.

"Can't we just relax one day?" Yaya whined. "We're always worried about Easter doing this and that! C'mon Kairi-Kun; enjoy one simple dance with Yaya!" Kairi nodded slowly.

"Yuiki-San and Mashiro-San are correct; it is unlikely they'll strike tomorrow," Tadase agreed. I sighed quietly, relieved they were not going to worry. This attack would come as a complete surprise.

"Well, I have to go. I still need a dress for tomorrow," Amu realized. "Yaya, Rima, do you two want to come?"

"No, I'm borrowing a dress from Lore, err, my mother," I told her, bluffing quickly. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nagihiko raise an eyebrow.

"Yaya will come!" Yaya replied giddily.

"Well, I suppose that the guardian meeting is adjourned." It didn't take me too long to get up and exit the Royal Garden. I started walking back to the Easter Headquarters, stuffing my hands in my pockets. Kusu-Kusu floated behind me.

"Rima-Chan." The familiar voice sent a chill down my spine. I turned around, facing Nagihiko.

"Oh hey, what's up?" I wondered, sounding perhaps a bit too cheery.

"I wanted to check up on you. Are you alright?" The concern in his voice was extremely apparent. It was obvious he was skeptic of me.

"What are you talking about?" I wondered, trying to act dubious.

"You've been acting quite mysterious lately, and today at the guardians' meeting, you seemed very…jumpy almost." I faked a sigh.

"I'm fine, really… I guess the stuff at home is really getting to me. It's just the usual arguing though. It's nothing…"

"Are you sure?" Stupid Fujisaki, unable to be convinced. Referring to him as stupid even in my mind seemed so foreign now that we were a couple. No, not a couple; I was merely using him.

"Yeah… Really, I'm fine," I reassured, forcing a smile.

"Rima-Chan, I want you to promise me something." I looked up into his honey-golden eyes. "I know a lot goes on at home. I want you to promise to not refrain from telling me anything. I want you to trust me, and tell me anything. If you have any secrets about yourself that could potentially harm you, I want to know so I can be there for you." I noticed his cheeks turn a red color. I found it difficult to maintain eye contact. "Rima?"

"Yeah…sure."

"So, if you're lying right now, you'd tell me?"

"Nagi, trust me. I-I'm being honest," I whispered, finding it difficult to sustain the lie. Before I could blink again, I found myself leaning closer to him, and it didn't take too long before we were kissing. I suddenly fully understood the feeling of floating described in movies. Our kiss lasted for a few more seconds before we broke apart. Nagihiko shot me a shy smile, before walking away. I stood in his wake, blinking rapidly. I felt like I was reliving one of my daydreams. It couldn't have actually happened. I could faintly hear Kusu-Kusu giggling maniacally. It was only my second kiss with a person ever, but it felt much more meaningful than my first, considering my kiss with Winter consisted of me being utterly perplexed.

"Rima, are you going to move?" I nodded, snapping out of my trance. I entered the Easter Headquarters, and retreated to my bedroom. Immediately, I collapsed onto my bed.

"Oh god…." My mind was racing. I kissed Nagihiko Fujisaki. I kissed the cross-dresser I constantly mocked.

"What's wrong? You just kissed Nagi!" Kusu-Kusu giggled.

"I don't like him," I whispered. "He's on the other side… I'm using him…" Kusu-Kusu's happiness evaporated.

"You _do_ like him!" My chara snapped. "This is ridiculous Rima. You love the guardians, you always have. Why are you doing this?!"

"I don't care…" Tears welled up in my eyes. "I need to; I don't want to live with…with _them_. And my supposed friends don't do anything!"

"Stop lying to yourself." Kusu-Kusu floated in front of me. "You want to forget the guardians and move on. However, you can't. You care immensely about Nagihiko; maybe even love him. You are forcing yourself to betray them, because you don't like your living situation. That's ridiculous. Rima, if you keep lying to yourself about your feelings for the guardians and Nagi, it's only going to get worse."

"I don't have any feelings to share," I murmured coldly. Kusu-Kusu looked close to tears. "You're combining your feelings with mine; you care, I _don't_. I've told you many times Kusu-Kusu: I'm done with the guardians."

"I need some space…" I didn't even bother to look up as she floated away. Once I was alone, I suddenly felt a few tears escape my eyes. More and more came out, and soon I found my face covered in tears. What if Kusu-Kusu was right? No, I couldn't think like that; I couldn't afford to. I made my decision; I made the _right _decision. Still, I couldn't control my tears. My eyes grew puffy, as I threw my face into the pillow. Why did Nagihiko have to confess to me? Why couldn't I do the rational thing, and simply decline his offer?

"I hate him," I murmured quietly out loud. Even I could tell it was a lie. Sighing, I slipped out of my clothes, and changed into my pajamas. I crawled into bed, not even caring how early it was. Tomorrow was going to be quite eventful with Easter attacking the dance. I tried not to think about how I would be dancing with Nagihiko. Although Easter would be attacking, there would be a period of time where I danced with him. Involuntarily, my cheeks turned red. I sighed, closing my wet-stained eyes. A part of me contemplated waiting for Kusu-Kusu before sleeping, but sleep possessed me before I could give a second thought.

**I know, this chapter was quite short for me and also extremely uneventful. I have a month hiatus, and then I post a chapter with nothing. However, it was necessary to set up for the dance next chapter. Also, I apologize for Rima being out of character. I made her the character I hate writing about, but I promise she'll be less annoying next chapter. Regardless, please review/alert/favorite! **


	5. The Dance

**I have been anticipating this chapter for a while now. I hope I made it big enough... Well, I own nothing, and without further ado, enjoy!**

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When people think of a school dance, it should bring positive thoughts to their mind. If they were dancing with a loved one, then they should feel excited to have his hands on their waist. They should anticipate the passion between them, and the feeling of simply them and the music. A dance should be the perfect night for you and him. Nothing can screw it up. Certainly, you shouldn't be planning something that involves the betrayal of your friends; of him.

When I woke up, I was greeted with the incessant beating of my heart. The plethora of thoughts racing through my mind all summed up into one; it was today. I should have merely been concerned with the success of Easter's plan. The guardians were irrelevant. I simply wanted them to create powerful X-Eggs to stop the guardians. I was a member of the company that antagonized the guardians. This was my goal, my job. However, that was not my major concern. What would I do if the guardians saw me betraying them? I shouldn't care, but I did. I didn't want them to know. I tried to tell myself that the reasoning I didn't want them to know was because I didn't want to lose my position as a spy. Despite my attempts to assure myself, I knew that I still cared. I couldn't… However, I did.

"Today's the dance!" Kusu-Kusu's upbeat voice interrupted my conflicting thoughts. I glanced at her, remembering our argument from the previous day.

"Awesome. Our plans should be successful." She avoided eye contact. "Kusu-Kusu, I know we don't see eye to eye on these issues, but I don't like fighting with you."

"I don't like fighting either."

"Are we good now?"

"O-Of course…" She smiled, but still refused to glance at me. I stretched my arms, and changed into the gown that Lorelei lent me. I looked into the mirror, and admired myself. I couldn't lie; it was beautiful. It pink-and-black striped, extending just below my knees. It was held up by straps, and was sleeveless. As much as I tried not to think about it, I wondered what Nagihiko's reaction would be to it. The dress revealed much more of my chest then I normally allowed. Shrugging it off, I went to the door, and opened it. When I stepped into the hallway, I noticed Winter. I walked over to him, and smiled.

"R-Rima-San… Your dress looks nice," He whispered.

"Thank you." I didn't smile. "Is everything in order for the dance?"

"Yes, I believe everything is prepared. You are certain that no one is suspicious?"

"I'm positive," I pointed out. "They are simply hoping for an enjoyable evening." Winter gave me a smile, before walking away. It was eleven o'clock. The dance commenced at noon, and I told Amu and Yaya I would meet them, so I went to the café they said to meet at.

* * *

Once I arrived there, I was dismayed to find Yaya not being as exuberant as normal. Yaya waved me over to them.

"Hey Rima-Tan!" Yaya called. I faked a smile, waving softly. Something seemed odd about them. Amu glanced at me for a moment, almost studying me.

"Is something… wrong?" I wondered, puzzled.

"No… Everything's fine!" Amu smiled suddenly. "Wow Rima, your dress is nice. It's not something I'd expect you to wear." I shrugged.

"I wanted to do something different. I mean, you don't really get a lot of opportunities to dress up." The two of them nodded.

"Shall we get going? It probably would make sense to get there early." I nodded, following Amu and Yaya out of the café. For some reason, there was an awkward silence, something I never expected to experience with Yaya. I noticed Amu and Yaya exchange many glances between each other. That was odd…

"Are you guys excited to see Tadase and Kairi?" I wondered, breaking the silence. It was a casual question, to prevent them from becoming suspicious.

"Yeah!" Yaya grinned, beginning to act more like herself. "Yaya bets Kairi-Kun will think she's hot!"

"Well…" Amu sweat dropped. "I'm looking forward to dancing with Tadase." She sighed. "Does this look too slutty? I mean, if Ikuto happens to show up, I'm worried he'll…"

"Amu, if _your_ dress is slutty, then I'm the biggest slut in the world," I pointed out. "No, you're fine!" Amu sighed, not really responding to my exaggeration.

Finally, we arrived at the dance. Not to our surprise, we were among the first to arrive. A few other students from our high school were there, standing in pairs. The room was quite large. There was a table set up nearby for all of the food, specifically dessert foods. I was not too surprised when I saw Yaya's eyes attracted to that area. I giggled slightly, somewhat related to nerves. Everything had to be perfect for Easter. Surely, this dessert table would distract Yaya, and probably Kairi from paying attention to Easter. Amu and Tadase would be busy, along with Kukai and Utau, who would be distracting him. And Nagihiko would be too mesmerized by…me. I blushed thinking about him.

As if on cue, I saw Tadase enter with the purple-haired boy. Kairi, Kukai, and Utau entered shortly behind. Utau gave me a dirty look, not too surprising.

"Amu-Chan, you look beautiful," Tadase admired, leading the others to us. Amu beamed, her cheeks reddened. He smiled at Yaya, but paid no attention to me. That was odd. Yaya climbed on Kairi's back. Utau and Kukai were holding hands.

"Hey." Nagihiko's melodic voice made me cringe. I looked up at him, smiling softly. He was blushing profusely. "You look really nice…"

"Thanks… Um, well, you do too…" He chuckled lightly. My hand reached for his. Strangely enough, he hesitated before sliding his fingers through mine. This was the perfect time that all of us had been dreaming for since our days at Seiyo. Amu had always wanted us all to be in relationships. Her and Tadase, though slightly on and off, and Kukai and Utau had been dating since I was in sixth grade. However, everyone speculated that Nagihiko and I would get together due to our constant arguing and flirting, and Yaya and Kairi clearly had feelings for each other. In all of their minds, this was the perfect time. Everyone was happy with their loved one. This was everything that they dreamed about. Everyone should have been happy. Why didn't they seem satisfied though?

Finally, the DJ arrived and the music began. All of us entered the dance floor, dancing with our respective partners. I didn't like the constant attention I received from my fan-boys. They were gawking, shooting Nagihiko glares. His fan-girls were also upset by our relationship. Inside, it gave me a weird sense of pride. However, the fans quickly got over themselves and danced with other people.

As I danced with him, something didn't feel quite right. It wasn't quite how I envisioned in my daydreams. I pictured us gazing each other in the eyes as we danced, almost like how Amu and Tadase always do. He seemed eager to avert eye contact.

"You alright?" I whispered.

"Huh?" He looked at me, maintaining his smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm really enjoying this." Nonetheless, I noticed him bite his lip. The guardians' behavior seemed quite peculiar. I decided to shrug it off, and continue dancing.

Suddenly, the music changed, and reverted to a slow song. Shyly, I felt Nagihiko's hand on my waist, prompting me to blush madly. I wasn't one hundred percent sure what to do at that moment. I looked up at him, with a puzzled expression. He chuckled, and placed my hand on his waist as well. I felt my hands get sweaty, and I wondered if he would notice. As if on cue, his fingers slipped through my other hand, and we began slow dancing. I wasn't going to lie; this moment couldn't be better. I never liked to be the center of attention, and here I was, sharing a moment with Nagihiko, with no one watching. There were others dancing around us, yet I felt alone with him. It was my perfect moment.

"Nagi…" I whispered.

"Shh, don't," He muttered. I looked at him, puzzled.

"I want to say something though." I took a deep breath. A part of me wanted to not say anything that could endanger the tranquility of this moment. However, I knew I had to, since I didn't have much time before Easter invaded.

"What is it?"

"This…This is perfect. I could have never asked for a better moment. So, thank you. And… Nagi?" He looked at me curiously. "I…I-I think, no… I _know_ that I…I…I love…"

"Don't." I stared at him astonished. He wasn't looking at me anymore. His eyes were completely darkened.

"W-What?!" I didn't know how to react. Why was he stopping me from admitting that I loved him? Did I do something wrong? It was perfect!

"Don't say things like that…that you don't mean," He mumbled.

"What? But I do…"

"No, you don't." He finally looked me in the eyes. His honey-golden eyes looked extremely pained. I have never seen Nagihiko this hurt, and I didn't know why. I tried to open my mouth to interject, but he beat me to it. "You never loved me, or even liked me. I was always your enemy, the one you hated. And now, it's truly official."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I was completely confused. "Nagi, that was before. It's changed. I care about you immensely, and honestly I can't stop thinking about you and-"

"I really believed you Rima, I thought we had mutual feelings. The way you looked at me, I-I thought it was sincere… It really hurts to know that I was merely a pawn to you."

"Huh?" His eyes darkened.

"Thank you, Mashiro Rima, for betraying us…_me_. I'm sure Easter has a good place for someone like you." My heart was beating rapidly. How did he find out?! My eyes dilated. My mind was racing. This can't be happening…!

A loud crash interrupted the dance. Many people glanced up, only to have their heart's eggs turn black and become X-Eggs. All of the guardians turned to the scene, but didn't seem too surprised. They all knew!

"Nagi, I can explain," I tried to reassure.

"I don't want to hear the words of a traitor." Those words stung, and each individual syllable felt like a dagger to the heart.

"I guess it really is true…" Amu whispered. Her voice seemed to crack, and I knew it was because of me she was upset. Yaya moaned quietly, wiping the chocolate off of her mouth. They all transformed, and I stood watching them, unsure of what to do.

"Kairi, what do you want me to do?" I asked, turning to the friend I always relied on to be there for me. Not to my surprise, he walked away from me. I watched, as the guardians, my ex-friends, fought the company I worked for. Only one question was left for me to ask; how did they find out?

"Hold on, where did Utau go?" Kukai wondered, looking around for his girlfriend.

"Don't tell me she betrayed us too," Amu grumbled.

"Actually, both her and Ikuto work for Easter," I pointed out. I wanted at least some reply, but again, I was completely ignored. It shouldn't have hurt me, but it did.

"Rima-San." My body turned, facing Winter. I was surprised to see him, although I should have expected him to be there. "We should go." He extended his hand. I glanced at Nagihiko from the corner of my eye. He was busy fighting the X-Eggs, looking as strong and powerful as ever. I took Winter's hand, and fled the scene. From the outside, I could see the fight raging on, both sides fighting aggressively. I didn't want to watch anymore.

"Hello Rima," Lorelei greeted, once I arrived back at the Easter Headquarters. Winter and I had removed hands from each other. I gave her a half-hearted smile, not quite matching my inside. She turned to Winter. "Was it successful?"

"Well, some of us arrived outside, but the guardians didn't seem too surprised," Winter admitted.

"They realized the truth about me," I whispered. Both of them looked at me. "I'm not sure how, but-" Suddenly, it hit me. Of course I knew how. I looked at Winter, who clearly had the same suspicion as me. "The Tsukiyomis," I spat.

"Oh? I made it pretty clear that if they made any threat against me, that they would pay. I know how much the Joker means to Ikuto," Lorelei sneered. Amu. My best friend was going to be captured because Ikuto and Utau told them about me; my fault.

"I'll deal with Ikuto and Utau," Winter murmured, seeming quite pleased. The two of us left Lorelei's office. We walked into the room assigned for the siblings.

"What do you two _lovers_ want?" Ikuto muttered. My eyes lowered, and I didn't even bother to point out that there was no chemistry between us, or at least it was one-sided from Winter to me.

"Oh wait Ikuto, they aren't lovers. Remember? Rima dated Nagihiko. Oh wait, that wasn't sincere. You should have seen how hurt he was when he learned of your betrayal."

"You _told_ him…them!" I exclaimed, angrily. Utau opened her mouth to speak, but Winter interjected.

"You know the consequences that will result from your actions." Winter looked directly at Ikuto.

"We didn't say it," Ikuto muttered.

"Oh really? Then who said it?"

"We don't know, but-"

"That's a bullshit excuse." Winter stepped closer to them. "You should have thought it through before you told. Are you sure you don't want your _precious_ Joker to get hurt?" Ikuto stood up angrily.

"You don't have any proof it was us," He hissed.

"On the contrary, you two are close with the guardians, and have protected them before." Winter pondered for a moment. "I'm sure Lorelei wouldn't mind if I chose to harm another member of the guardians. Hm, what's his name?" He looked directly at Utau. "Tall, sporty, ginger…"

"Don't you dare," Utau snapped, standing beside her brother. I noticed how quick they were to protect their loved ones. Just the mere mention of Amu and Kukai being harmed made them get protective. However, instead of protecting her supposed loved one, I betrayed him, and probably hurt him more than fathomable.

"Oh, it seems you really care for him. Is he your _perfect_ boyfriend?"

"He's better than you ever were, though frankly, you aren't too hard to beat," Utau pointed out. I looked at Winter and Utau. They dated?! The two of them seemed so incompatible. Yet, this seemed to be only new knowledge to me.

"Touché," Winter murmured. "Well, we should be on our way to let Lorelei know that she can harm your lovers."

"It wasn't us," Ikuto called. The two of us left the room.

"I think I'm going to train a bit, and go to sleep," I told him. It was already nine o'clock.

"See you later." He smiled at me, heading to Lorelei's office. I got a quick bite to eat from the cafeteria, and then I went to the training room. It was the first time I had been down there. I was all alone, so I decided to transform. I transformed with Kusu-Kusu into Clown Drop, and shot some juggling pins at the training dummies. In my mind, I envisioned the dummies as the guardians. I was their enemy that they constantly tried to beat. I could see the perfect scene in my mind. Amu was desperately trying to purify the X-Eggs that surrounded me. However, she was too slow. Tadase was protecting her, and managing to allure her. Yaya would be doing something with her duckies, possibly using her raddle to put herself to sleep by mistake. Kairi would be planning some complicated plan, but I would attack him before he could finish his complex sentence. Kukai and Nagihiko would be doing some weird sports thing, Kukai thinking he was impressive when in reality he wasn't, and Nagihiko being impressive. Nagi… He would be the only one able to take me on. However, could either of us fight each other? I could picture him calling my name, the melancholy in his eyes that he had at the dance. It wasn't just him though. All of them, the guardians, they would be hurt. I could see their pained expressions, some of them even crying. I couldn't picture this anymore.

I fell to my knees, ending my transformation, and began to sob uncontrollably. It was stupid. I should be satisfied; I am aligned with Easter like how I wanted to be. Then, why can't I stop crying? My eyes turned red and puffy, and I was sniffling. I was extremely pleased that I was all alone. Without ceasing my tears, I curled into a ball, and allowed the tears to cascade gingerly down my cheeks. I shouldn't have any regrets, but I do. Why? Is it just the fact I managed to fall for the cross-dresser? No, it was more, I knew that. I was heartbroken that all of my friends were upset and mad. No, wait. Not friends; guardians. Guilt… was this what I was feeling? I had to stop. There was no going back.

Shakily, I got to my feet, and left the training room. I wiped my eyes quickly, before retreating to my room. I took a deep breath, before changing into my pajamas. From this moment on, I would be strong. I wouldn't care about those foolish guardians. I made my decision to move on. I am Rima, an Easter employee, not the Queen. I closed my eyes, trying to feel assuaged. I wasn't.

"Rima, wait…" Kusu-Kusu floated over to me.

"What?" I murmured, ready to go to sleep.

"I want to tell you something…"

"Can it wait? I'm going to sleep." It didn't take me long to fall into a deep slumber.

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**So, who do you think told the guardians? Was it Ikuto and/or Utau and they're lying? Did they figure it out on their own? Or, was it someone completely different? Let the speculation begin! Please review/favorite/alert! Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Trust

**First off, I want to apologize immensely for taking over a month to update this story, especially when I left you guys a mystery. The lack of an update was entirely a cause of my updates of two of my other stories, Umbrageous Universe and Alluring Nightmare, and also a slight Writer's Block. If you have any free time, why don't you go check those two stories out, particularly Alluring Nightmare? I'm so subtle, aren't I? Also, the song Don't Speak by No Doubt is really fitting for this story. Anyhow, I own nothing except for Lorelei and Winter, and please enjoy.**

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"It wasn't us! How many times do I need to tell you?! You don't have any official proof! Please, don't hurt her!" Not once in my life have I ever heard Ikuto sounding so desperate. He usually spoke softly and unstrained, but at that moment, I was able to hear his voice booming through my closed door. Although it was only nine in the morning, I was not bothered by his yelling; I had not slept at all anyway.

"Your lies are not helping your case." Winter's voice was not difficult to make out. Lies. I knew one person that could lie flawlessly and make anyone else believe, even if it was ridiculous like their own gender. I hugged my pillow tightly to my chest. I could not afford to think about him; he was my enemy.

"We're not lying! Please, our association with Easter has nothing to do with Kukai or Amu. This is ridiculous!" Even Utau, who was normally confident and powerful, sounded completely frantic. I rose from my bed, and peered out the gap between my door and the hallway. Utau and Ikuto were walking behind Winter, their faces completely pale.

"Oh? You came to watch your lovers get kidnapped?" The smell of smoke quickly revealed Lorelei's identity. I covered my nose, and coughed quietly. I pushed the door open a little more, watching keenly. Ikuto snarled at Lorelei.

"Harm her, and you'll regret it," He hissed.

"Oh, please." She laughed. "Your petty threats are worthless to me. You can't harm me; we have our agreement." He clenched his fists.

"You said that you wouldn't harm them unless we disobeyed, and we _didn't_," Utau persisted angrily.

"Is there really a point to argue at this point Tsukiyomi? You know that we know you did it. Trying to change our minds is utterly pointless."

"Rima, you have to interject!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed. "You have to help them! They're innocent!"

"Kusu-Kusu, when can you get it through your tiny head that I don't give a crap about them?!" I whispered angrily, attempting to hinder the waver in my voice. "It is quite obvious that they told the guardians, and even if they didn't, the consequences are meaningless to me."

"But Rima, I…"

"If you want to be a goody two shoes, then why don't you just take my place as Queen, or whatever the hell I was?! I don't _care_." I bit my lip. I heard a quiet sniffling from nearby. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Kusu-Kusu crying softly. I had never seen her cry before. She was supposed to represent my desire to smile and to make others smile as well. A clown chara should not be capable of shedding tears. "Kusu-Kusu, I didn't…"

"Rima, please… I know they're innocent. They should not be punished for something they didn't do."

"Why are you so certain they are innocent?" I wondered, reaching for my brush and attempting to brush through my abundance of curls.

"Because _I _told the guardians about what you have been doing." I froze, dropping my brush to the ground. Slowly, I turned to face my chara, my eyes widening. I was in utter bewilderment. Kusu-Kusu, the one I trusted more than anyone, told the guardians what I did?! She ruined the plans Easter had yesterday for striking during the dance; ruined my job as a spy.

"H-How could you betray me like that?! I-I trusted you…"

"_I _betrayed _you_?! What type of screwed up perspective do you see all of this from?! It was all your fault, Rima! _You're_ the one who betrayed _me. _I loved the guardians, almost as much as you once did! Leaving them just to find some freaking safe haven hurt me more than you could even imagine; more than you even tried to imagine. You never even bothered to care about me. You were so caught up in yourself and your desire to escape home, that you didn't even notice how leaving the guardians like this killed me." Kusu-Kusu was practically screaming now. "You're conceited! All you care about is yourself and your comfort. You don't give a crap about me, or the guardians. Can't you imagine how they felt when I told them, how _Nagihiko_ felt?! Whoever invented the term the Ice Queen for you is completely spot on." I was absolutely horrified.

"Kusu-Kusu, I-"

"Don't." It was a combination between a hiss and a sob. "You're going to face great consequences one day, and when you do, don't come crying back to me." She seemed hysterical. "You've changed Rima. Maybe it's time for me to become a chara to reflect your new needs; the need to make people miserable, because that's probably more accurate!" Despite her outburst, she remained exactly the same. Suddenly, I heard the door open. I raised my eyes, facing Winter.

"Is everything alright? I heard many shouts coming from here." I grabbed Kusu-Kusu, and hid her quickly, so I didn't risk Winter seeing her crying.

"Oh, I'm fine!" I lied, smiling coolly, despite how I felt. "My chara wanted to do something, but I was scolding her for incessantly asking." Winter smiled back.

"Reminds me of my own…" He shook his head sadly. "Well, I was hoping you could help out with the new prisoners we will be abducting, the two guardians. You know them well, so it would be convenient for you to help out."

"Of course," I agreed. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes." Winter nodded, and walked away. Sighing, I let go of Kusu-Kusu, and tried to hold back tears. I couldn't believe what she said. This was Kusu-Kusu; the one who was always there for me. I thought charas were supposed to support you, not scream at you!

"Kusu-Kusu…"

"I don't have anything more to say to you," She growled. I watched her, seeing the melancholy in her eyes. Deep down, I knew she was completely right. I never really took her opinion into account. I ignored her pain. A part of me wondered why she was still here. She was extremely angry at me and probably hated me. Besides, I no longer wanted to make people happy; she said so herself.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail, and walked out of my room. I didn't even bother to look if Kusu-Kusu was following. I walked forward, until I met Winter in the lobby. He gave me a small smile, and turned back around. I noticed a few Easter workers holding two familiar guardians, both of them with their mouths covered and their arms tied to their body. They were struggling to escape. I watched them coldly, my eyes demonstrating no emotion. Amu seemed to stop struggling for a moment, as her eyes met mine. I could see the pain in her eyes, nearly identical to Kusu-Kusu. Amu was my best friend supposedly, and here I was, watching her be carried away. Kukai had helped me out numerous times as well, either giving me advice in life or just being comforting. I could not even count how many times he teased me about Nagihiko even before we dated. When he watched me, I could see the anger very vividly.

"Stop!" I heard Kusu-Kusu's voice screech. However, only Winter could hear her. The other workers carried Amu and Kukai away and put them into a room. "Please, it wasn't Ikuto and Utau; it was me! It was me! Stop!" Winter's eyes met mine, surprise in them.

"Ignore her," I instructed. He nodded, and gestured for me to follow. I complied, and walked into the room that held Amu and Kukai. Both of them watched me, as I stood beside Winter, my arms crossed. No emotions were present on my face. The workers pulled off the tape from their mouths, both of them wincing in pain. The workers turned to Winter, who nodded. They soon left the room, prompting Lorelei to enter.

"So, these are the two that the Tsukiyomi siblings fell for? I thought I would be more impressed." She tousled Amu's pink hair. "You are the great and mighty Amu Hinamori? I expected more."

"What do you want with us?!" Kukai growled.

"Well, Amu is the one we seek," Winter pointed out, turning to Amu. "You are just here to punish Utau for not keeping her word, and you are here for Ikuto. However, holding Amu captive will help keep the X-Egg populations larger."

"What word did they not keep?" Amu wondered.

"For spoiling our secret regarding our newest member." Winter patted my head. I gulped, noticing the attention of the room divert to me.

"It wasn't Ikuto or Utau," Amu started. "I…"

"It was me! It was me, I swear!" Kusu-Kusu continued to scream. Amu and Kukai faced my chara, smiling softly. Lorelei, however, was unable to hear her shouts.

"There's no need to protect your lover anymore. We know the truth," Lorelei hissed, brushing her long finger nail against Amu's cheek. She coughed, smelling the smoke on her breath. Kusu-Kusu continued to scream and wail to no avail. Getting fed up, I grabbed her, covering her mouth.

"Kukai!" Utau dashed into the room, and glared at Lorelei, Winter, and me. Ikuto followed shortly behind, turning to Amu. Her eyes widened.

"You two are actually in Easter too?" Kukai inquired, looking hurt.

"By force," Utau explained. "It's complicated. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think it would be permanent."

"I understand," He gave his girlfriend a smile. Amu smiled warmly at Ikuto. How could they be forgiving of the Tsukiyomi siblings, and not me? Even I knew the answer was extremely obvious.

"Well, isn't this fun?" Lorelei clapped her hands. Kukai and Amu frowned at her. "Why don't I introduce myself? I am Lorelei, the latest director of Easter. I presume you two are quite familiar with our company?"

"Actually, I don't think we know _anything _about Easter after fighting them for who knows how many years," Kukai muttered sarcastically. "Certainly, I wouldn't dream of joining you after spending so much time with the guardians." It was obvious that the comment was directed to me. I continued to maintain my stoic expression.

"Oh, Rima-San, why don't you stay on guard? The other guardians will likely attempt to rescue them." I nodded, turning toward the door.

"Rima, wait." I froze, hearing Amu's voice. "I can't believe you did this. You were one of my best friends in the entire world. I trusted you. Nothing hurts me more than knowing that the trust was not mutual." Her voice sounded choked up.

"You never really trusted me, Amu," I pointed out, still ceasing to look at her. "It was always Nagihiko over me." I tried to ignore the rapid beating of my heart when I uttered his name.

"That's not true! I loved you both. Now, I just don't understand!" I continued walking out the door, and left Lorelei and Winter to handle them.

"I guess I'll need to transform," I muttered quietly, turning the chara in my hand. "My own heart…"

"I'm not doing this with you," She muttered stubbornly.

"Kusu-Kusu, this is ridiculous! It's just a simple transformation."

"A transformation that will be used to fight the guardians." She looked at me angrily. "You still don't get it! I'm not like you; I'm a good guy and you aren't!"

"Ugh, now what will I do?!" I crossed my arms. As if on cue, Winter strolled over beside me. I glanced up at him.

"I noticed that you and your chara had quite a dispute." I nodded, sighing. "Follow me." I complied, wondering where he was leading me to. We descended a flight of stairs, leading me to the basement I did not know previously existed.

"What are we doing?" I asked, confused.

"We have been experimenting with something new. It is a large reason why having Amu held captive serves as a benefit. This is our latest model." He gestured me to a dark figure that appeared to be floating. It resembled a chara.

"What is this?" I wondered, reaching out to touch it. To my dismay, it opened its eyes. I jumped back, surprised.

"It is an artificial chara," He explained. "It is developed to counteract the power of a normal chara. Instead of purifying eggs, it has the ability to form X-Eggs. This model of the artificial chara has not been experimented as much as preferred, but it seems necessary. Besides, I do believe you have the power to control it." He turned to me, and walked toward another artificial chara likely for himself.

"I'll try it," I agreed.

"Rima, just… be careful." He stepped toward me, and began to lean closer to me. I could feel his breath on my lips. As the gap between us began to vanish, I found myself reluctantly envisioning the image of honey-golden eyes upon my face, opposed to Winter's chocolate-brown eyes. The spiked white hair was replaced with long, lavish indigo hair that I wanted to reach out and touch and feel its soft texture. I couldn't do this anymore.

"Let's just get started," I murmured, backing up. Winter nodded, embarrassed by his attempted actions. He nodded, averting eye contact.

"My own heart…" Before I could finish, the artificial chara entered my body. I nearly gasped, surprised by the sudden entrance. A strange feeling swept through me; power. I have never felt this much strength, even when I transformed with Kusu-Kusu or purified X-Eggs with Nagihiko. I felt a slight pain, but I ignored it, embracing the incoming power. The transformation ended, and I felt quite powerful. I turned to face Winter. He was wearing black, his outfit almost resembling that of a knight. I faced a mirror, admiring how I looked. My hair was tied back into two pigtails. I wore a black dress and black boots. I didn't look too powerful, but I could feel it bubbling within me.

"Are you ready?" Winter asked.

"Yes," I agreed, following him back upstairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kusu-Kusu's pained expression. It must have hurt her more that I transformed without her, let alone an artificial chara.

I stood behind a wall, watching the scene in front of me. It seemed that the guardians were already there fighting against other Easter workers who were also transformed with artificial charas. They seemed oblivious to my presence, as they continued fighting. Tadase was using his shield, protecting himself and the others from their attacks. Yaya was incessantly shooting ducks, looking angry and determined. Kairi stood close by her, using his swords to attack. There was one more guardian that left who was shooting basketballs at them. His expression seemed stoic like mine, and he didn't look harmed at all.

"The guardians are powerful," Winter noted, whispering to me.

"They are solely run by emotion," I explained quietly. He looked at me. "It's their strength and weakness."

"Let's use that to our advantage then." He smirked at me. "It's now or never." I took a deep breath. I had no idea what power I had in this transformation. I had never fought against the guardians, but I have fought beside them for so long to know their strategies. Usually, it was Amu that was their main key, but currently, she was being held captive. Now, it was Nagihiko that they relied on. X-Eggs suddenly floated up. Tadase turned to Nagihiko, and nodded. That's right; Nagi could purify X-Eggs. He went to fight the X-Eggs, while the others focused on the workers. I knew what I had to do.

"Rima-San?" I looked back up at Winter. "It would make the most sense to attack Fujisaki." I had nearly forgotten about how Winter mentioned knowing "Nadeshiko" previously. I had lied and claimed that Nagihiko was her twin brother. I nodded slowly, and turned to Nagihiko. It would be so difficult to attack him. I had to do it; I couldn't afford to have these romantic feelings any longer. I had to use his pain to my advantage to take him down. I could feel my legs shaking. I repeated what Winter said in my mind; it's now or never.

"Basketball Blitz!" Nagihiko called, beginning to perform his purification move to purify the X-Eggs. I couldn't let him do that. Slowly, I lifted my hand, and watched as a dark beam shot out of it. Clearly taken aback, Nagihiko fell backward, the purification failing. Surprised, he glanced up at the direction it came from. His eyes widened when he saw me, and suddenly, the pain was quite evident in his eyes that it spoke for itself. I stepped forward, revealing myself completely. I gulped, but maintained my stoic expression.

"Did you think purifying them would be that simple?" I tried to taunt, making myself sound more like the enemies that we have faced in our past. The waver in my voice, however, made me sound less intimidating, and I was certain my doll-like appearance did not help. Nagihiko did not crack a smile.

"You aren't transformed with Kusu-Kusu," He noted.

"No, really?" I murmured, trying to sound cold and sarcastic. Kusu-Kusu floated up behind me, tears welling up in her eyes. Nagihiko glanced up at my chara, shaking his head slightly.

"I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this." A basketball appeared in his hand. With anger, he threw it in my direction. With a speed I was not used to, I dodged, ducking below it. Suddenly, a scythe appeared in my hands, similar to the scythe Ikuto used as Death Rebel all those years ago. I swung it at Nagihiko, who dodged it by jumping. I turned around quickly, seeing him behind me. He stood quite close to me, and I could see the tremble in his legs as well. Again, I swung, but he dodged once again. He was as fast as ever. Unfortunately, I spun around, but I could not find him.

"Rima-San, above you!" I glanced up quickly, and suddenly, a basketball was flying down at a rapid pace toward me, giving me no time to dodge. Fortunately, a shield was cast over me, protecting me. Winter stood beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"…Winter?!" Nagihiko exclaimed, dismayed. Winter glanced up.

"Fujisaki Nagihiko correct? Rima-San told me that you're Nadeshiko's twin sister." Nagihiko raised an eyebrow at that, but refused to glance at me.

"Something like that," He muttered. "You work for Easter?"

"Correct. I suppose this naturally makes us enemies."

"I've become quite used to making old friends into new enemies," Nagihiko grumbled, clearly directed at me.

"Rima-Tan!" Suddenly, I noticed Yaya, Tadase, and Kairi staring at me. I turned to them. Yaya grinned and ran over to me, her arms outstretched. With the scythe still in hand, I quickly knocked her unconscious.

"You always were stupid," I pointed out coldly.

"You better think twice about that action!" Before I could blink, I felt myself get tackled to the ground. Once I turned around, I found myself face to face with Kukai. He looked extremely infuriated. How did he escape? Sure enough, I saw Amu and Ikuto walking close behind.

"Off," I snapped, trying to grab the scythe.

"What the hell is your problem?! Yaya was your best friend! How dare you knock her unconscious! Damn it, do you understand how much you hurt us?! Nagi loved you, and what do you do?! Step all over it and just ruin everything! You're a bitch Rima!" Being called a bitch stung, but nothing compared to everything else. Kukai lifted a soccer ball and was about to attack me, but someone shoved him off. Part of me expected it to be Nagihiko, but it was Winter. Winter swung at Kukai, slamming him to the ground.

"You shouldn't have escaped," Winter hissed. "There are consequences."

"There are also consequences to hitting my boyfriend." Utau swung her devil trident at Winter, knocking him out. "I've wanted to do that for some time."

"Winter!" I cried, unsure of what to do. Utau faced me, frowning. I tried to reach for the scythe, but Utau beat me to it. She tossed it to Amu, who struggled to catch it. She was transformed as well.

"Let's finish this quickly. Nightmare Lorelei!" I smirked, thinking of the irony of that name. Swiftly, I dodged the attack. Before I could do anything else, I felt myself get hit in the head by a round ball. I watched the basketball bounce to the ground, as I slowly fell to the ground, the world turning black.

* * *

**There won't be many more chapters of this story. I don't know the exact number, but this story can't go on indefinitely. For now, please review/favorite/alert! Thanks!**


	7. Kidnapped

**You probably hate me. Oh god, I'm horrible. Yes, I went on vacation, but I really didn't update because I was distracted by my other two stories, and I was too lazy to get out of the Writer's Block I was in. Unlike my other two stories, I don't really have a specific direction (I mean, I know what will happen, but I don't have every chapter completely mapped out). Well, without further ado, I own nothing and enjoy!**

* * *

Whenever I entered the Royal Garden, I always expected to be greeted kindly and be welcomed in. Never once could I even have dreamed of finding myself tied up to a chair underneath the glass walls, facing a group of people I once called my best friends. As I first opened my eyes, I was completely perplexed. The first thing I became aware of was the tremendous amount of pain in my head. I attempted to put my hand on my head, but to my dismay, I was unable to move my hands. Panicking, I realized I was tied up to a chair with rope. My eyes widened, realizing I was kidnapped.

"So, you're awake." I jumped, not too far, turning to the source of the voice. Utau Tsukiyomi stood in front of me, her arms crossed. Suddenly, I remembered everything that happened; my betrayal, transforming with the artificial chara, fighting the guardians, getting knocked out. No wonder my head hurt. The last thing I remembered was a basketball bouncing down. So, _someone_, the culprit pretty obvious, knocked me out with a basketball. Finally, I realized I was in the Royal Garden. Behind Utau, stood all of my other friends, Ikuto included.

"Why…am I tied up?" I wondered slowly.

"Are you stupid?!" Utau stepped closer to me. "Hello, you work for Easter! We can't trust some petty traitor."

"So do you," I muttered under my breath. She glared at me.

"Well, we have some questions to ask you." Utau crossed her arms. "First off- why? Why did you betray the guardians?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't I already tell you? I thought the guardians were stupid, so I-"

"Cut the bullshit," Amu hissed, to my utter dismay. When I looked at her, I was extremely shocked to see her looking angry and upset; Amu hardly cursed! It was clear she had just been sobbing. "That can't be true! Rima, you are extremely blunt; you wouldn't just think that we were stupid without saying it to us prior to betraying us!"

"What makes you think you know me so well?" I wondered.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that we were freaking best friends?!" Amu exploded into another fit of tears. Ikuto and Tadase both looked at her concerned, but Nagihiko beat them to comforting her. He hugged her gently, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Involuntarily, I felt my heart churn. I felt a tinge of jealousy, even though I was completely aware that it was not romantic. Though, it did dawn on me that I had no right to be jealous, since it wasn't like Nagihiko was my boyfriend anymore, not that we officially broke up. I noticed him intentionally avoiding eye contact with me, only making me realize I had been staring at him. I shifted my glance quickly back to Utau.

"You still have a question to answer." I remained silent. Utau stepped closer to me, and to my surprise, slapped me roughly across the face. I gasped in pain. The others, too, looked horrified.

"W-What?!"

"Oh Rima, did you really think this would be so simple? I'm treating you just the way Lorelei treated Kukai and Amu. Sorry, but you aren't getting out of this by remaining silent. Your boyfriend isn't coming to save you." There was a lot of confusion in the room at first by that comment. The guardians looked at Utau, puzzled. They had no idea about the slight chemistry between Winter and me. I felt nervous all of a sudden. I did not want them to find out about him, especially considering it was merely one-sided.

"I don't have a boyfriend," I muttered. Seeing Nagihiko glance at the ground and the melancholy etched upon his face made my heart want to shatter into fifty thousand pieces. I just wanted to break out of the ropes and embrace him- No, I couldn't feel this; I didn't care. I kept trying to reassure myself that I did not give a crap about the guardians, or Nagihiko. Why should I care if they know about Winter?

"What about Winter? I saw you two kiss the other day." Everyone looked up at Utau, surprised. "Oh, and just to clarify, it was while you were 'dating' Fujisaki."

"I didn't kiss Winter!" I exclaimed. "He has a crush on me, but he kissed me and I stood there confused!"

"Who is Winter?" Amu wondered.

"He was that guy who was fighting alongside her," Nagihiko explained gruffly. His voice just made me want to melt.

_No, stop!_ I pleaded mentally. I could not allow myself to be attracted to Nagihiko. He was the enemy, and I hated him.

"Are you sure about that? You two really seem to get along," Utau flaunted.

"I'm sure that if I had a relationship with him, it would go much better than it did with you and him," I muttered. Utau smirked, much to my discontent. I was certain I had hit a nerve. Kukai's eyes widened, looking at Utau in confusion.

"Do you want to know what happened between Winter and me, when we dated? Well, long story short, we went on a few dates, I found him making out with another girl, and then I dumped him. He never really treated me well either. Even after, he kept calling me and trying to make dates. He's nothing more than obsessive. But hey, if you like creepy, then he's the perfect match for you."

"When did that happen?" Kukai wondered.

"Before you, don't worry," Utau reassured. Kukai sighed a breath of relief. "We only have one cheater in here."

"I never cheated," I mumbled, knowing no one would believe me.

"Maybe you never cheated on me, but you cheated on the guardians by joining Easter." Nagihiko's voice seemed strained. I forced myself to look at him. "It hurts that you had some sort of relationship with Winter, but nothing hurts me more than the fact you betrayed, and lied to us…me." He took a deep breath before continuing. "You looked at me that night, when we first kissed, and promised me you wouldn't lie to me." The anger in his voice was quite apparent. He looked at me, the pain evident in his eyes. "I should never have trusted you."

"You're a hypocrite," I muttered as calmly as humanly possible. He looked at me, surprised. "You always lie! How could you look at someone, and expect them to be honest, when you aren't? Have you ever told someone something that was even true?!"

"Well, I told a certain _someone_ that I loved them, and I meant it completely," He retorted back. If I felt broken before, I must have been completely fissured now. I did not know how to reply back. There was a long silence in the Royal Garden.

"Guys, wait outside," Utau instructed. "Fujisaki and I can deal with this alone." I hardly even noticed the sting of being referred to as "this" when compared with Nagihiko's comment.

"But, can't we help?" Amu urged. Utau gave her a look, prompting Amu to sigh and go outside with the others.

"Keep an eye out for Winter or any other Easter employee," Nagihiko suggested. They complied, leaving the Royal Garden. I really did not want to be here, yet the ropes that tied me to the chair suggested otherwise. When it was just the three of us, I noticed Nagihiko cross his arms. Why was he voluntarily here, taking part in questioning me? Didn't it hurt him as much as it hurt me? Suddenly, it dawned on me. They _knew_ it would hurt me to speak to him. That's precisely why they had me speak to him.

"You never answered our question, you know. Why did you join Easter?"

"I wanted to," I replied bluntly. I was about to cross my arms like the two figures in front of me, but then I quickly remembered the ropes that bounded by arms to the chair. I was certainly going to get a rope burn after this. However, that was not my big concern at the moment.

"Why did you want to? There's always some motivation," Utau pointed out.

"Isn't that enough motivation? I joined voluntarily because I was bored, and-" Before I could blink, there was another slap across my face. I cringed in pain.

"Utau…" Nagihiko started.

"She'll give in," Utau promised. "This is necessary. Now, Mashiro Rima, why don't you answer the question with the truth?" How could I tell them the truth; that it was merely to escape from my parents? I always tried to reassure myself, and tell myself that it was because I also hated what the guardians did, but those were just futile excuses, weren't they? It truly was to escape my parents; to go sleep soundly one night without their screams, without my father's slurs from his new addiction with alcohol, and without them blaming each other and me.

* * *

_"Why did you leave the stove on, Rima?! It wasn't going to turn off itself!" My mother yelled at me. My eyes lowered. It had just been a careless mistake._

_ "I-I thought you were going to," I admitted. "I didn't know…" _

_ "You are so ungrateful for what we do! You should take responsibility! You are so spoiled." My mother slapped me across the cheeks, making me cry out in pain. _

_ "She's only spoiled because you spoil her!" My father exclaimed. My eyes darkened; why did they have to fight now?_

_ "I do not; it's you who spoils her!" They continued their juvenile arguments, unbeknownst to the amount of pain I experienced. I wanted to scream and cry. They continued fighting, until it suddenly took a serious turn. My father lifted a chair, and threw it in the direction of my mother. I watched, horrified. _

_ "You are a horrible bitch. Why did I marry you?!" Then, the drunken man turned to me. My eyes dilated, frightened out of my mind. "It's your fault! You ruined our relationship; you made it so goddamn impossible to escape. You are a bitch too!" My father brought his fist to my cheek. I cried out loud, and felt myself run as fast as I could, and slam the door to my room. I was in an eruption of tears. I didn't want to stay here anymore; I couldn't. I was too scared in my own house. I threw things into a suitcase, without properly thinking it through. My eyes were slightly blurred, due to the tears that cascaded down my cheeks._

_ "Where are you going?" Kusu-Kusu wondered. _

_ "I don't know; anywhere else!" I cried, collapsing on my bed. I could still hear their shouts. I covered myself with blankets, and allowed myself to cry endlessly._

_ The next day, I lugged the suitcase, and bluntly told my parents I was leaving. They acknowledged me for half a second, before returning to their fights. This time it was about my father throwing up after his hangover. I ignored the tears that dared to escape my eyes, as I slammed the door behind me. I wondered around for that day, and came across a sign for job offerings. I noticed one mention something about having your own complementary room. I smiled slightly, until I noticed the company of which this was for. _

_ "Rima, you can't join!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed. "That's Easter, the biggest enemy of the guardians." In my heart, I knew it was wrong. I loved the guardians immensely; how could I betray the people that helped me so much? Amu had managed to melt my cold exterior, and found me a place with the guardians. Yaya always was there for me as well. And how could I forget that pathetic purple-haired cross-dresser? Despite what I might have liked to believe, Nagihiko was always there for me too, and he was always someone that listened to me. Besides, whenever I was with him, I did feel happier. _

_ "What else am I going to do?" I whispered softly. "I'm not going back home Kusu-Kusu. Easter will let me in. They could have many uses for a spy on the guardians. I don't have a choice…" I clutched the flyer tightly in my hand, and made my way to the building where my supposed enemies used as a base. However, that was about to change. I opened the door, and then…_

* * *

I felt a rough slap across my face. For a split second, I thought it was my mother. However, the iconic blonde pigtails confirmed that it was not.

"Being silent isn't going to help you," Utau pointed out. I could feel my eyes watering, upon recalling that memory. What if I had never left? Well, I could guarantee I would have many more bruises. Maybe everything would have been simpler. Now, I do have a place at Easter, but no one who truly understands me like the guardians. I lost the only friends I ever had, the people I trusted the most. Heck, one of my former friends was slapping me and arguably torturing me. My own chara hated me! Maybe I had Winter, but he only stays around me, because he has a crush on me. It's not like he knows a thing about me really.

"That's why I left, I swear," I repeated. "I hated the guardians, I hated what you all did, and I wanted a break. I wanted to betray you because I-I hated…"

"Who are you trying to reassure; us or yourself?" Nagihiko wondered. He was looking at me for a moment, but I couldn't find any emotion. He was completely stoic. I could not answer his question, since I knew the answer, and I didn't want to admit it. Utau lifted her hand, but Nagihiko grabbed her wrist.

"She's not telling us anything!" Utau pointed out, turning to him. "We need to-"

"She's breaking," Nagihiko pointed out, watching me curiously. "She's going to tell us soon." Utau sighed, her arms now crossed. I had to prove him wrong; it's what I always tried to do. In school, I always competed with him, and sought to get a higher grade. I never was successful, since the stupid idiot managed to receive one hundred on nearly anything. I had to beat him at something… I knew that he was completely right; I was losing it.

"I…I…" I stifled the tears that attempted to escape my eyes. "I don't know! I just don't know!" My stifling attempts completely failed. I tried to open my mouth again to speak, but I was crying far too much. I tried to wipe my eyes, but of course, I was still tied up.

"What don't you know?" Utau wondered.

"T-They treated me like…like shit. I-I couldn't… I had to… I-I could escape; I…"

"Who treated you like shit? Lorelei?" Utau wondered.

"No, she means her parents," Nagihiko realized. Of course he figured it out. He looked at me, his eyes practically piercing through me. I knew he was trying to read me at that moment, and figure out everything. I tried to blink back tears, but I was unsuccessful.

"They fought a lot, didn't they?" Utau wondered. "Amu mentioned it to me." Nagihiko nodded slowly, though he didn't remove his eyes from me.

"It was more than fighting, right?" His voice softened, as he took a step toward me. I watched, completely stunned.

"Nagihiko, don't get too close," Utau warned.

"I know," He whispered. "Did they…physically harm you?" I could not utter a comprehensible answer, so I merely nodded. "You couldn't deal with it, right? After they harmed you, you just needed to get out, escape their horrible treatment. Easter provided you with a bed, so you went there." I stared at him, astonished.

"H-How did you figure all of that out?" I whispered. I could almost see him fight back a smile, but he still had a small one that just made him look extremely attractive.

"You're surprisingly not too difficult to read, Rima. I should have speculated that at first. I guess I was just too taken aback. But there is something I don't get." I could feel his eyes bore into me. "Why didn't you talk to Amu-Chan or me about this? You could have just stayed at one of our houses; why turn to Easter?"

"I-I guess…I-I…"

"She didn't want to admit it was true," Utau interjected. "If she turned to Easter, she could uphold the lie. She didn't have to admit to the harsh truth." I could feel more tears crawl down my cheeks. It was frightening how valid that statement was. "I felt the same way when my father left. I didn't want to believe it, so I made up these fantasies, and often went somewhere else."

"I'm sorry," I blurted out, my voice sounding strained. Both of them looked at me again. "I regret it; I-I regret everything! I-I didn't know what I was doing. I sort of just…I don't know. I… I didn't know what I expected would happen. I just…I should have known that my actions would result in the loss of all of my friends; the people I loved. I don't have anyone now…" It baffled me how I managed to make it through all of that without bursting into hysterical crying. To my utter bemusement, I felt a hand upon my shoulder. I looked up, and saw Nagihiko quite close to me. Despite all of my tears, I was certain my face appeared quite red at that moment.

"You need to rest, Rima," Nagihiko told me sweetly. He was smiling slightly. "You just need a break from all of this."

"Nagi… why…"

"Shh…" He put a finger to my lips. "I'm going to be completely frank with you; everything isn't magically patched up now. I need some time before I can trust you again. However, this is a start." He removed his hand from my lips, and at that moment, I wondered if he was going to kiss me. I felt his hands move to the back of me, as if he was going to pull me into an embrace. I soon realized that he was undoing my ropes.

"Nagihiko, are you sure about this?" Utau wondered.

"She's too vulnerable to pose a threat," He pointed out. "It's okay."

"Nagi?"

"Hm?" He continued untying me.

"I-I didn't lie about everything… I-I truly did-" Before I could continue, the doors suddenly opened, revealing Kukai. Utau looked at him, concerned.

"He's here!" Kukai exclaimed. "Winter."

"Shit," Utau muttered under her breath. Nagihiko let go of me, and turned to Kukai.

"I am here," He pointed out, strolling inside the Royal Garden. He was transformed with the artificial chara. "Back away from her."

"Not a chance." Nagihiko transformed into Beat Jumper. Kukai looked at Utau skeptically, nodding over to Nagihiko. Utau gave him a look, to which he nodded. I watched, as Nagihiko tossed a basketball at Winter. He evaded Nagihiko's attack, and went over to me.

"I'm here now," Winter promised, untying me completely. In my mind, I felt slightly disappointed. I followed Winter reluctantly outside, turning around quickly. Utau attempted to attack, but Winter put some invisible shield around us. I met Nagihiko's eyes. I thought I saw him smile at me.

"Rima-San, did they hurt you?!" Winter exclaimed, as we arrived back at the Easter Headquarters. I remembered Utau's slaps, but slowly shook my head. "You look like you were upset…"

"No… I'm fine. I just…got scared," I lied. I knew I sounded like some fragile girl, but I didn't really care. He smiled up at me, and took me back to my bedroom.

"You should rest." I nodded, and went into my room, collapsing on the bed. What was I doing here? I didn't belong here. I was a guardian.

"Kusu-Kusu? Are you still here?" I wondered, fully knowing she was enraged at me.

"I told you not to come crying back to me," She retorted back. I sighed.

"I wasn't. I just wanted to make sure you were still here." She exhaled deeply.

"I might be mad at you Rima, but I'm always here to look out for you." That was enough for me. It didn't take me long at all to fall to sleep. I had no idea what would happen from here on out. However, the next morning, I never would have expected the knock on the door to change everything.

"Come in," I grumbled, barely awake. I was surprised to see Utau walk in my room. Her arms were crossed, as she drew nearer to me.

"Hello Rima," She greeted. I gave her a small nod. "Actually, I wanted to speak to about something; a proposition."

"What?" I wondered.

"I know you want everyone to forgive you. I could see how much you were blushing when Nagihiko got close to you." My cheeks reddened. "So, I have a suggestion that might help you out."

"What's the proposition?" I wondered.

"You've gotten quite good at lying to the guardians about your involvement with Easter. Suppose you switched it around? Lorelei trusts you. You could obtain information from Easter, and give it to the guardians. You could act as a double spy."

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**This is kind of a lame cliffhanger, but a cliffhanger nonetheless. I promise, the next update should be sooner, since I know what's coming. Thanks for your patience! Please review/favorite/alert! **


	8. The Art of Lying

**I'm not 100% satisfied with how this chapter came out, due to the lack of length and slight rush, but if I don't post this, it will take an extremely long time, due to my constant Writer's Block. I really don't think I can write this story for much longer, so I'm thinking that the next one will be the last. I'm really sorry to all fans. I will give it a proper ending that will be _much_ better than this chapter. This chapter was necessary. I hope you all enjoy it anyway, and perhaps I'm just seeing this through the lens of an exhausted teenager. I own nothing (except Winter and Lorelei) and enjoy!**

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I stared at Utau in disbelief, hardly processing what she said. A double spy? Would I really be able to pull that off? I lied for some time about my affiliations with Easter to the guardians. I knew for certain that Kusu-Kusu would not spoil this secret.

"Why would I accept?" I wondered, my arms crossed.

"You know exactly why." Utau smirked slightly, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You apologized to Fujisaki and me. You regret this, and seek forgiveness." I tried not to show any sign of conceding to her truths, but I could not deny that I did regret everything. "The only way for us to grant you said forgiveness would be for you to provide us with necessary information. Sounds good?"

"What happens if Lorelei does find out?" I asked.

"That's for you to find out. If you truly want Fujisaki to look at you with infatuated eyes again and have your friends respect you again, then this is your only shot. Do you accept?" I glanced at the ground. I truly did want to have everything go back to how it was. However, accepting this would make everything much more difficult. I would have to lie to Easter now. Would my former friends even trust me to tell them the truth? I gulped nervously, and looked back up at Utau.

"I…I'll do it," I whispered.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Well, you'll start today. There's a guardian meeting, so you're expected to come. They'll let you know your assignment." I nodded slowly. I quickly changed into a white top and a green mini-skirt, before following Utau. I suddenly heard a voice call me. I turned, facing a familiar boy. I forced a weak smile.

"Hello Winter," I greeted, realizing I would have to lie to him as well.

"How are you this morning?" He asked politely.

"I'm good," I muttered. "I'll talk to you later. My parents want to see me." Fortunately, I had never told him anything about my parents, so it was believable. I noticed him slightly raise an eyebrow, but he nodded slowly. Fortunately, Utau had gone ahead to make it less obvious, so I quickly waved to him, and exited the building. Utau was waiting outside for me, her arms crossed.

"Ikuto's already there," She pointed out, as we started to walk together. "It's just you and me they're waiting for." I nodded slowly. For the rest of the walk, we were completely silent. When we arrived outside the Royal Garden, I took a deep breath. Was I really ready to face all of my friends again, supposedly on their side? Would they accept me? Of course not. Nagihiko had made that clear.

"You ready?" Utau asked, glancing down at me. I gulped, and nodded slowly. To say I wasn't nervous would be a vast lie. "I know you feel, you know," She admitted. "After I changed my side from Easter, I felt extremely nervous to present myself in front of Amu. I was previously their enemy, and they never knew me as on their side, with the exception of Tadase. You'll be fine." I nodded slowly, bracing myself as Utau opened the doors to the Royal Garden.

I carried my feet into the building that I used to use as a safe haven. I always used to have a sense of serenity upon entering, since it was an excuse to leave my home. The cynical expressions my former friends sent my direction was quite contrary to the smiles that I previously received. I could feel my heart rapidly beating, as I made my way to a couch in the back. I sat down slowly, feeling paranoid with the stares that confronted me.

"Your skirt is awfully cute," I heard a voice whisper, before sitting beside me. I didn't even need to glance over at him to realize who it was. However, I found myself looking up into his honey-golden eyes anyway. He gave me a small smile, to which I replied with a blush.

"I bet it would look nice on you too," I pointed out, before covering my mouth rapidly. I had not done that kind of teasing in so long. It certainly wasn't appropriate for the situation. It was practically second-nature for me to tease him about his femininity and cross-dressing. To my bemusement, he chuckled lightly, but didn't say anything further.

As Tadase began talking about the guardian meeting, I noticed Nagihiko's legs in proximity to mine. He sat in between two cushions of the couch, his legs every now and then bumping against mine. I wondered if it was possible to blush any further. It also baffled me though. Why was Nagihiko acting so… kind and even flirtatious to me? He had told me yesterday that he wasn't going to be so quick to trusting me. I knew that he wasn't an idiot; he couldn't possibly be forgiving me. He was always so suspicious of other people. Still, the constant meeting of our legs and his subtle smiles that only I saw him give to me utterly perplexed me.

"Mashiro-San, your objective will be to collect all necessary information regarding the X-Eggs. According to the Tsukiyomi siblings, you have a relationship with the director, Lorelei. You must convince her to get all of the information. Do you have some now?" I nodded slowly.

"Do you remember a few weeks ago, or however long it was, when there was a control panel here in the Royal Garden?" The others nodded. "I actually installed that with Winter…" I gulped. "It was used to enhance the power of X-Eggs. That's why they were glowing blue. Amu nor Nagi…hiko could purify them, until it was broken, which you guys quickly did."

"That makes a whole lot of sense!" Kukai exclaimed. "Yeah, we saw them all over. I think we got them all, right?"

"I don't know," I muttered quietly. "I don't remember where I put them all. I know I had some in illusive places, like one on a tree, and-"

"So _that's_ why you were climbing that tree," Nagihiko remembered. I nodded uncomfortably, my cheeks reddened.

"Find out all of the information about that," Tadase told me. "Report back to us immediately." I nodded slowly.

"I'll do it," I told them.

"I know you can," Amu reassured me. I looked at her, surprised. She wasn't looking at me. I knew that Nagi and Utau had to have told everyone about my little breakdown the previous day. How else would they have been able to trust me so simply?

"I, um, should go do that," I murmured, standing up slowly.

"Don't let Yaya down," I heard the pigtailed girl whisper. A small smile crossed my face, as I turned to her. She was gripping Kairi's hand firmly.

"Not again," I promised. I exited the Royal Garden, and sighed. How was I going to do this? I couldn't just confront Lorelei and ask her everything. That would seem quite suspicious! Before I could contemplate any farther, I noticed the idiotic cross-dresser whom I no longer thought of as idiotic exiting the Royal Garden, and walking over to me.

"Nagi?" I inquired, puzzled. I immediately regretted referring to him like that. "What are you doing?"

"You always made it known to me that I'm a liar," Nagihiko pointed out, his arms crossed. "I tend to live in lies, so I thought you might want some help on lying to the director." I looked at him, surprised. I wasn't stupid; this was a chance to have Nagihiko talk to me, so I wasn't just going to pass up on it. I was still bemused by his behavior towards me.

"Oh, of course!" I must have sounded overly happy. He smiled lightly.

"Shall we go to the park?" He asked me. I nodded, following him bashfully to the park. Fortunately, it wasn't very crowded, since it was still before noon. We sat down beside each other on the bench, reminding me immensely of the time he confessed to me. I could feel my heart beating swiftly, as his eyes met mine. We were sitting close to each other, much closer than casual friends would. To my utter bewilderment, I noticed a blush across his cheeks. It made me involuntarily smile. His feelings didn't vanish for me.

"So, how are we going to go about this?" I wondered.

"They say lies come from truth," Nagihiko pointed out. "If you are going to lie to Lorelei, you'll need something that is believable, a simple bend of reality. You cannot show any signs of lying. Say it as if you believe it with every fiber of your body. Make eye contact. Averting any eye contact will show sign of suspicion. Here, let's practice." I could feel myself gazing into his eyes. His voice was melodic. Each syllable that he uttered sounded like a beautiful song.

"Practice?" I wondered. He nodded slowly.

"For example, I can tell you that you're ugly, but that would be quite the lie. Or, I can simply say that I don't have feelings for you. That would be quite believable, given everything that occurred with you, and your betrayal. I could easily tell you that I no longer have feelings for you. That would be an example of a well-devised lie." It suddenly dawned on me how flirty he was acting. I could feel our faces gradually become closer. I could not even try to conceal my incoming blush. "Now, why don't you tell me a lie?" I gulped, my heart rate rapidly increasing.

"I-I…I hate you?" I mustered, my voice going up several octaves. He smiled lightly.

"You say that one enough so I know it's false," He whispered, our faces so close that I could feel his breath.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

"Because, Mashiro Rima, you're irresistible," He admitted, his cheeks probably the color of mine. "I know that I should not be accepting you so quickly. You broke my heart. However, seeing you yesterday looking so upset and broken… if my heart was broken before, it shattered then. . I know you well enough to know that you regret betraying us wholeheartedly, and you would never do anything like that again. Right?"

"Of course," I whispered back, a smile forming on my face. "Never again."

"Good." The small gap between our faces was suddenly removed. I could not fathom the amount of euphoria I was experiencing, as I found myself kissing Nagihiko. I forgot about the world around me at that moment. I had always believed I would never fall in love, or any of that crap. Having experienced the crap from my parents' fighting, I thought that all couples were doomed to fail. However, I never realized that I would fall in love, especially with the indigo-haired boy I used to claim was my arch-nemesis. I would have completely ignored the sudden shout, if it had not affected Nagihiko.

"Metal flail!" A voice yelled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a metal chained ball hit Nagihiko's head. I pulled away rapidly, noticing that he was suddenly out cold.

"Nagi!" I cried, grabbing his body before he could fall off of the bench. I glanced up, and my eyes widened at the sight. Completely character transformed with his artificial chara, I saw a skeptical Winter standing nearby. I had to come up with something quickly, just as Nagihiko had prepared me for, in theory.

"What the hell was that?!" Winter wondered, stepping closer to him. I looked at Winter in the eye.

"It was merely deception," I lied calmly, without my voice wavering. I had nearly forgotten about my cold façade. It seems like ages since I used it. "Somehow, I got the cross-dresser to believe me, and now he trusts me again." I realized that Winter would have no idea why I called him that, but I ignored that.

"I'm not an idiot," Winter grumbled. "Don't feed me bullshit Rima-San; something happened when they abducted you yesterday."

"What's going on?" I turned, facing the purple-haired boy beside me. I did everything in my power to avoid blushing. He gave me a blank stare, but I caught a rapid wink.

"So, I see you two are back to being lovey dovey. How sweet." The sarcasm within Winter's voice was quite apparent. Nagihiko gave me a stunned expression. If I didn't know better, I would have believed it in a second.

"I-I should have known I couldn't trust you…" Nagihiko whispered, glancing at the ground. "I just…I knew it was too good to be true that you would be good." Even though he was lying, it still made my heartbreak.

"You're an idiot," I lied, standing up from the bench. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see faked pain in his eyes.

"Let's take him." I looked at Winter surprised.

"W-What?!" I exclaimed.

"Capture him. He can purify too, so it will be convenient to have him around."

"Doesn't it seem redundant though? He'll serve no purpose," I pointed out. Nagihiko stood up suddenly, as if bracing himself to fight.

"That's where you made your mistake." He stepped closer to me. I felt a chill run through me. "It's quite evident you have feelings for him. You have some sort of involvement with the guardians again, don't you?"

"No…" I mumbled, though it was futile to argue further. "Winter, please don't tell Lorelei. If she knows, I'm totally screwed. Please…"

"Why would I listen to you?" Winter wondered.

"Because if you don't, the guardians will capture you, the same way you wanted to abduct me, or when you abducted Amu-Chan and Kukai," Nagihiko threatened, his hand suddenly reaching for mine. I slipped my fingers through his.

"Winter, aren't we friends?" I asked.

"I don't have friends," He replied coldly. "My objective is to work for Easter and Lorelei. If you betray us, then I have to report it to Lorelei. That's the rules."

"You aren't going anywhere," Nagihiko demanded. Winter turned to face Nagihiko.

"Do you want me to knock you out again?" Winter threatened.

"It's not going to be that simple. My own heart-"

"Nagi!" Winter had tossed another flail at him. I shoved him to the ground, narrowly dodging the attack myself. Instead, I found myself on top of my, who even knew what he was to me at this point. Both of our faces were bright red, as I quickly got off of him.

"Thanks," He whispered. I gave him a small smile. We both turned to the spot where Winter previously stood. He must have gotten away rapidly. "Shoot…"

"What am I going to do?" I wondered, turning to him.

"You'll be okay," Nagihiko promised, hugging me close to him. I wrapped my arms around him.

"Yeah… They're going to hate me though. You can't just quit that company. You know what happened with Ikuto and Utau. And now they're forced to work against their will."

"Rima, I'm not going to let them lay a finger on you," He promised, running his fingers through my hair. "You can stay at my house, alright? We'll pick up your clothing from Easter as soon as we can. For now, you can borrow some clothing I wore as Nadeshiko." I nodded slowly, following Nagihiko to his mansion. At this point, I was feeling extremely exhausted. I could hardly focus on walking to the Fujisaki Manor. Upon entering, Nagihiko led me to his room. Upon sitting down on his bed, I immediately found my eyes closing, and felt myself drift off into sleep, without the slightest worry in the world. I could silently hear Kusu-Kusu giggling.

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**I did enjoy how the RimaHiko came out this chapter. I know it might seem rushed that he forgave her, but he's just madly in love with her. Well, I'm not 100% sure if the next will be the last chapter. It's either the next or the one after (or even later if I magically get 58892 ideas). Please review! Hope you liked this chapter more than I did! **


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